Occupational stress and coping strategies among five special education teachers in Selangor

Abstract

This study examines special education teachers’ reactions to occupational stress and the coping strategies they adopt during and outside school hours. The teaching profession, particularly in the field of special education, requires significant emotional, cognitive, and physical commitment, which often leads to heightened stress levels. Adopting a qualitative phenomenological approach within a case study design, five special education teachers in Selangor, aged between 26 and 51 years old (three females and two males), were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically. The findings reveal that teachers frequently experienced anger, tiredness, frustration, and annoyance, especially in relation to managing students’ behavioural challenges, meeting parental expectations, and dealing with administrative workload. During school hours, teachers commonly coped by sharing concerns with colleagues, browsing social media or watching videos during breaks, consuming snacks and drinks, taking short naps, discussing issues with school administrators, and modifying teaching strategies to accommodate student needs. Outside of school, coping strategies included taking vacations, engaging in recreational activities, and seeking emotional support from family members and close friends. The study emphasizes the importance of providing systematic stress management support, emotional resilience training, and collegial support systems to promote healthier working environments. It is recommended that school leadership and policymakers prioritize teacher well-being to sustain motivation, reduce burnout, and enhance quality of special education services.