Prevalence causes of stress and coping strategies among malaysian university lecturers

Abstract

As an academician, lecturers are tied to job scope that are related to teaching and learning, research, publication, consultancy, and community services. All these tasks have occasional loads and excessive load may cause stress to lecturers. This study was conducted to identify the level of Malaysian lecturers’ stress and the major prevalence causes of stress among them. In addition, the relationship between stressor factors to the lecturers’ stress was tested as well. This research used a survey technique. A questionnaire with four Likert Scale was used as an instrument for data collection. The instrument comprised three sections with 33 items. A total of 609 respondents were randomly selected from four Malaysian Public Universities as respondents. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS 24.0. The findings showed that Malaysian lecturers experienced stress at low levels. Three main factors which included the university factor, social factor and individual factor had significant relationships to lecturers’ stress. In addition, work load, work environment, networking, health, and financial factors also were seen as major prevalences that contributed to the lecturers’ stress issue.