ABSTRACT

Stress is considered a major global health challenge affecting the well being of service providers especially those working in the human service sectors like teachers, health care providers, media specialists and security agencies. The sources of stress are attributed to socio-economic, occupational and political pressures of modern life. This study was prompted by emerging information from studies that stress is a silent killer that affects the health of service providers leading to mental, physical, emotional and behavioural illnesses and disorders. The objectives of this study were: to identify sources of stress among head teachers, determine levels of stress among head teachers, analyse effects of stress to tasks performance of head teachers and establish strategies employed by head teachers to mitigate effects of stress. Stratified Random Sampling technique was used to identify the study sample. The study sampled head teachers, Heads of Department (HoD) and the Provincial Director of Education (PDE). The total number constituted 73 respondents: 18 (24.66%) head teachers, 54 (73.97%) Heads of Department (HoD) and one (1.37%) Provincial Director of Education (PDE) drawn from Kisumu County: seven (38.9%) schools in Maseno Division, seven (38.9%) schools in Winam Division and four (22.2%) in Kombewa Division. Questionnaires and key informant interview schedule were used as data collection tools. Data analysis was done thematically using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) based on the objectives of the study. The key findings of the study were that: the position of headship, stake holders and families are the sources of stress to the head teachers; the level of stress differs with head teachers‟ biological, psychological and social systems; head teachers stress affects other teachers and the school performance; and the stress mitigation strategies employed by the head teachers and Ministry of Education are not effective. The study recommends that: MOE should develop a policy on stress management to guide the induction, operations and counselling of head teachers on their day to day duties; the MOE should involve the head teachers in designing effective Stress Management programmes in Counties. Heads of Department and teachers need to be inducted on stress management strategies because HoDs handle most administrative roles in the absence of the head teacher while teachers need to know how to relate with a stressed head teacher to avoid being the triggers of aggravated stress.