Differential Impact of Secondary Traumatic Stress on Burnout Among Secondary School Teachers in Rural and Urban Areas of Delta State

Abstract

This study investigated the differential impact of secondary traumatic stress on burnout among secondary school teachers in rural and urban areas in Delta State. This study utilised a descriptive design, with a population of 13,064 secondary school teachers and a sample of 388 teachers, comprising 204 from urban areas and 184 from rural areas. The Teachers’ Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout Questionnaire, comprising 30 items, was used to collect data. Research questions were addressed using Mean statistics. A t-test was utilised for hypothesis testing at 0.05 level. The study findings demonstrated a significant disparity in the impact of intrusion on teachers' burnout between rural and urban centres. The study concluded that secondary traumatic stress has an effect on the degree of burnout of teachers, with the rural teachers having a bigger impact of the three aspects of avoidance, intrusion, and arousal. Among the recommendations are that education management and school authorities must come up with regular psychological support schemes, including counselling sessions and peer-support workshops, to enable teachers to cope with intrusive thoughts and emotional loads caused by the traumatic experiences of the students.