Understanding stress and satisfaction of private teachers: A correlation analysis and K-means clustering

Abstract

Stress is caused by weariness at work due to unpleasant experiences, adversely affecting job satisfaction and well-being. This article study focuses on elucidating the level of job stress and satisfaction of private teachers in Abuyog and Jaro, Leyte, Philippines. Additionally, the study investigated the association between stress and satisfaction across different levels. A cross-sectional study was employed to gather primary data through a census of private teachers. Data was collected through a constructed questionnaire and summarized with standard descriptive metrics in statistics. The K-means clustering approach determined the relationship among variables (stress and satisfaction) across different levels. Results disclosed that, on average, private teachers are moderately stressed and satisfied at their work. In addition, it is shown that the higher the stress level at work, the lower their satisfaction is based on their correlation. Moreover, the K-means clustering approach has portrayed that private teachers can be categorized into two clusters. The first cluster (Cluster 0) comprises teachers with a lower level of stress and a higher level of satisfaction. The second cluster (Cluster 1) comprises teachers with moderate stress and satisfaction levels. Conclusively, teaching in a private institution can be stressful due to the high demand for work, which can negatively affect the well-being of teachers. Hence, the study suggests that school heads must consider adjusting the work assignments and provide enough incentives to boost teachers’ satisfaction and promote productivity and well-being.