Abstract
Our aim was to investigate differences in teacher stress and perceptions of
school climate among teachers from schools with differing matriculation success
rates in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Two schools with matric pass
rates of 100% and two schools with matric pass rates of less than 25% were
selected from a list of schools provided by the province’s Educational District
Circuit. The schools were matched in terms of area, size, resources, and equipment.
Thirty-three teachers from the high performing schools and forty-two
teachers from the poor performing schools participated in the study. Student’s
t tests were used to assess the differences between the schools on the variables
under investigation, and the results showed the teachers’ experience of stress
across the different schools was not significantly different, but significant differences
did emerge with regard to school climate. The implications of these
findings for the study population are discussed.