Occupational Stress and Job Satisfaction Among Primary School Teachers in Borno State, North East Nigeria

Teachers in conflict-affected regions of Nigeria face heightened occupational stressors beyond those of their counterparts in more stable environments, yet the relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction among primary school teachers in North East states such as Borno remains understudied. This study examines occupational stress levels and their relationship with job satisfaction among primary school teachers in Borno State. A cross-sectional survey is applied to 240 teachers selected from ten public primary schools across three local government areas through purposive sampling. The Occupational Stress Index and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire are administered alongside a demographics questionnaire capturing years of experience, gender, school location, and displacement history. SPSS is used for Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Available educational psychology literature from North East Nigeria identifies workload, insecurity-related stress, and poor infrastructure as the three most prevalent occupational stressors among teachers in post-conflict settings, with intrinsic motivation and community recognition as significant buffers to job dissatisfaction. The Demand-Control-Support Model of occupational stress provides the theoretical framework. Findings are expected to reveal a significant inverse relationship between stress and satisfaction, with school location as a moderating variable. Outcomes will inform the Borno State Ministry of Education on targeted teacher support and stress management interventions. Keywords: occupational stress, job satisfaction, primary school teachers, Borno State, North East Nigeria.