Assessing stress factors and coping strategies among primary school adolescents in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania
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Date
2013
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
The University of Dodoma
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess stress factors and coping strategies among primary
school adolescents in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania.
The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. Both purposive and
stratified simple randomly sampling procedures were used. An overall number of 108
respondents made up of 18 primary school teachers and 90 primary school adolescents
were involved in this study. Data were gathered through, interview, questionnaires and
documentary reviews. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively through the use of
SPSS version 16 and qualitative data were analyzed by using content analysis.
The findings indicated that; stressors such as, “academic performance”, “parental
conflicts” “financial difficulty at home” “examinations” and “long distance from home
to school” were the principal sources of stress among primary school adolescents.
Wide range of physiological symptoms of stress such as headache, tiredness and
hunger were very common to most of the adolescents. The findings also show that:
“poor school attendance” “early pregnancy” “lack of concentration” and “lack of
interest in studies” and “psychological problems” were the major effects of stress in
primary school adolescents.
To cope with stress the adolescents in primary school adopted different coping
strategies including “positive reappraisal”, “escape-avoidance” and “seeking social
support” these were very common to adolescents in this study while the less used one
was confrontive coping. The study concluded that primary school adolescents have
little knowledge of stress, and how to cope with stress.
The study recommends that there must be extra efforts in assisting pupils to manage
stress such as more leisure time activities, better interaction with parents, peers and
teachers and proper guidance and peer counseling at school could do a lot to reduce
stress, which affect not only their academic performances but also all aspects of health.
Description
Dissertation (MA Education)
Keywords
Coping strategies, stress factors, Primary school adolescents, Young adolescents, Morogoro municipality, Tanzania, Assessment, Determination, Examination
Citation
Kashindye, N. (2013). Assessing stress factors and coping strategies among primary school adolescents in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania. Dodoma: The University of Dodoma