STRESS, MARITAL CHALLENGES AND COPING STRATEGIES OF FEMALE MARRIED SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This work investigated stress, marital challenges and coping strategies of female married secondary school teachers in Sokoto state. Six research questions, objectives and hypotheses were raised respectively to guide the study. The study used a population of 353 married teachers across the public secondary school in Sokoto state, out of which 196 were sampled based on research Advisorstable for determining sample size (2006). Three different instruments were used to gather data for the study namely; sources of stress scale (SSS) constructed by the researcher with reliability index of 0.68, marital challenges scale (MCS)Constructed by researcher with reliability index of 0.72, and coping strategies scale (CSS) constructed by researcher with reliability index of 0.78. Hypotheses one, two and three were analyzed using chi-square, while hypotheses four, five and six were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis statistical method. The findings of the study revealed that there wasno significant difference between home-based and work-based stress of female married secondary school teachers in Sokoto State, there was significant difference between personality factors and behavioural factor marital related challenges of female married secondary school teachers in Sokoto State; and there was no significant difference between affectionate and social support coping strategies of female married secondary school teachers in Sokoto State. The study concluded that, stress and marital challenges affect the coping strategies of female married secondary school teachers in Sokoto state. As a result of this, it was recommended among others that, there should be concerted effort of the counsellors’ to the female married teachers to make sure that needs, personality factor and behavioural factor on marital related challenges are taking care of to reduce stress.