The relationship between workload and stress levels of physical education teachers

This research was conducted using a relational screening model to determine the relationship between physical education teachers' workload perceptions and perceived stress levels and how this relationship differs in terms of various demographic and professional variables. The research was conducted with a total of 398 physical education teachers working in middle schools and secondary education institutions in the 2024-2025 academic year and selected through a convenience sampling method. The data were collected online through the "Personal Information Form", "Teachers' Workload Perception Scale" and "Perceived Stress Scale". The obtained data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, as well as independent groups t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and simple linear regression analysis. The research findings revealed that physical education teachers' workload perceptions and perceived stress levels were generally at a moderate level. Within the scope of the research, significant differences were observed in workload perception and stress levels in terms of variables such as gender, professional experience, weekly lesson hours and the number of students in the classes. On the other hand, while there was no significant relationship between age and workload perception, a significant relationship was found between age and perceived stress level. In addition, significant relationships were found between professional experience and both workload perception and perceived stress levels. No significant difference was found in workload perception and perceived stress levels according to marital status. While there was a significant difference in workload perception according to the type of schoolworked, no significant difference was observed in terms of perceived stress level. As a result, it was determined that there was a moderate, positive and significant relationship between workload perception and perceived stress; it was also determined that workload perception explained the stress level by 23.4% and had a moderate positive predictive effect on stress.