A CASE STUDY ON STRESS SENSITIVITY AND STRESS MANAGEMENT METHODS OF TEACHERS TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN PARALLEL CLASSROOMS IN SCHOOLS UNDER THE BANGKOK PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AREA OFFICE

Abstract

          The purpose of this research was to study the stress sensitivity and stress management methods of teachers teaching students with special needs in schools under the Bangkok Primary Educational Service Area Office. The study focused on 33 teachers teaching students with various types of special needs in classroom only, known as a parallel classroom, across 14 schools. Among them, 29 teachers taught students with more than one type of special needs in the classroom, while another 4 teachers taught students with only one type of special needs, all of whom were hearing impaired. The survey utilized a two-part instrument, the Suanprung Stress Test (SPST) by Suwat Mahatnirunkul et al. (1998), which interpreted stress sensitivity into four levels: very high, high, moderate, and low. The second part was an open-ended question for teachers to freely indicate how they managed their stress. The data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages.

            The findings are: 1) 19 teachers (57.60%) reported high levels of stress, followed by 8 teachers (24.20%) with moderate levels, and 6 teachers (18.20%) with very high levels. 22 teachers (67.00%) most frequently used relaxing activities to manage stress, such as watching movies, listening to music, and singing; 8 teachers (24.00%) chose to engage in activities with family and friends, such as traveling, cooking, eating together, and planting trees; and 3 teachers (9.00%) engaged in activities to foster peace of mind, such as making merit, worshiping Buddha, praying, meditating, etc.