A study of preschool teacher's job stress and their job satisfaction in Klang Valley

Lim, Yik Hwa (2025) A study of preschool teacher's job stress and their job satisfaction in Klang Valley. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

Preschool teaching is widely recognized as a high-stress occupation. Two major contributors to job stress among teachers are inadequate school-based support such as limited assistance from students’ families, school administrators, colleagues, and personal networks and teaching-related demands, including excessive workloads and insufficient time. These stressors may significantly reduce teachers' job satisfaction. Despite its importance, limited research has explored the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction among preschool teachers in the local context. Guided by Lazarus’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, this study aims to examine the levels of job stress and job satisfaction among preschool teachers in the Klang Valley, as well as the relationship between the two variables. A quantitative correlational research design was employed. The instruments used were the Teacher Stress Scale (TSS) developed by Chen et al. (2022) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) by Spector (1988). A total of 66 preschool teachers were selected using purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse demographic data, mean scores, and standard deviations, while inferential statistics were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results revealed a significant negative correlation between job stress and job satisfaction (r = -0.556, p < .001), indicating that higher job stress is associated with lower job satisfaction. This study is limited in terms of generalizability due to the small sample size and use of purposive sampling. Additionally, the reliance on a purely quantitative design restricts deeper insight into participants’ perception. It is recommended that future research adopt a mixed-method approach and apply random sampling across a broader geographic area to enhance data richness and generalizability. Keywords: Preschool teachers, job stress, job satisfaction

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