Moderating Effect of Mental Health on the Association between Teachers ' Stress and their Professional Attitude in Tanzania

Abstract

Various reports show that there is an increase in teachers ' stress and
a decline in teachers ' professional attitude in Tanzania. Few studies
have examined the reasons for such situation. This study examined the
moderating effect of mental health on the association between teachers '
level of stress and their professional attitude. The study used a selected
sample of teachers from 12 randomly selected public primary schools
of Tanzania (N = 173, Mean Age = 38.10 years, SD = 10.0). Using
hierarchical regression moderation model, a significant association was
found between teachers ' professional attitude and their level of stress (β
= €“ .21, p < .001), which was moderated by mental health (β = €“ .12, p <
.029). The findings call for interventions to enhance teachers ' wellbeing
including the wellbeing of their mental health in order to improve their
organizational and life performance in the country.
Keywords: mental health, professional attitude, teachers ' stress,
Tanzania