Global Chinese language teachers are the main force to teach Chinese and spread Chinese culture. In recent years, more and more teachers are sent oversea to teach Chinese. These teachers carry great occupational stress due to cross-cultural communication. However, occupational stress of overseas global Chinese language teachers has never been researched.
In this study, the author used questionnaires to investigate occupational stress of overseas global Chinese language teachers, including stressors and coping style. The perceived stress level of global Chinese language teachers is firstly tested and then empirical research on occupational stress is conducted: First, the author developed Occupational Stressor Questionnaire for Global Chinese language teachers based on interview and found stressors and demographic differences through statistics from the questionnaire. Then, the author used COPE Scale (brief version) to investigate stress coping style and demographic differences of global Chinese language teachers. On the basis of empirical research, the author made recommendations on occupational stress management for global Chinese language teachers.
Study concludes: (1) Occupational Stressor Questionnaire for Global Chinese language teachers has high reliability and validity. (2) There are nine occupational stressors affecting global Chinese language teachers, namely, workload, social pressure, time management, cross-cultural teaching and communication, career development, school management, problems from students, school environment and income & benefits, and significant differences are found on cross-cultural teaching and communication and workload dimensions between Chinese teachers and teachers with foreign nationality; student problems, social pressure, workload and time management dimensions among teachers of different teaching years; student problems dimension among teachers in primary and middle school, college and training organizations. (3) There are 13 kinds of coping styles according to statistics from COPE scale, namely, Self-distraction, active coping, denial, substance use, use of emotional support, use of instrumental support, behavioral disengagement, venting, positive reframing, planning, humor, acceptance and religion, and these 13 styles can be divided into three categories: and avoidance, among which, problem solving coping is most frequently used. Significant differences are found on problem solving and emotional regulating between male teachers and female teachers; problem solving and emotional regulating among teachers of different teaching years. (4)Occupational stress management can be conducted for personal and organizational perspective. From personal perspective, global Chinese language teachers can ease stress by solving problems, regulating emotion and cognition, seeking supports and developing oneself. From organizational perspective, school and training organization should divide task in a reasonable way, improve working environment, build fair system, provide trainings, seeking social support and develop Teacher Assistance Project.
The study made contribution to occupational stress research by enriching stressor and coping research, besides, it also provided concrete advice on stress management which can do some help to ease global Chinese language teachers’ occupational stress, thus, this study possesses both theoretical and practical significance.
Keywords: global Chinese language teacher; occupational stress; stressor; stress coping; stress management
