Stress Levels Among Honorary Teachers in Schools in Banten Province, Indonesia: A Quantitative Descriptive-Comparative Study
Keywords:
DASS-21, Honorary teachers, Occupational stress, Teacher mental health, Banten Province, Gender differenceAbstract
Purpose - This study aims to describe stress levels among honorary teachers in schools in Banten Province, Indonesia, and to examine whether stress levels differ significantly by gender.
Design/methodology/approach - This study employed a quantitative descriptive-comparative design with a non-experimental approach. A total of 109 honorary teachers were selected using purposive sampling. Stress was measured using the seven-item stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's Alpha reliability testing, assumption testing, and an independent samples t-test. Cohen's d was calculated to estimate the effect size of gender-based differences.
Findings - Most respondents were in the normal stress category, comprising 69 teachers (63.3% of the sample). However, 31 teachers (28.4%) experienced moderate to extremely severe stress. The DASS-21 stress subscale demonstrated good internal consistency, with Cronbach's Alpha of 0.888. The independent samples t-test indicated no significant difference in stress levels between male and female honorary teachers, t(107) = -0.482, p = 0.631, Cohen's d = -0.117.
Originality/value - This study provides empirical evidence on stress levels among honorary teachers in Banten Province and emphasizes the importance of accurate DASS-21 stress subscale scoring in interpreting psychological stress among non-permanent educators.
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Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The dataset is not publicly available due to participant confidentiality and ethical restrictions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Novita Sari, Poppy Ramadhani, Retno Ryani Kusumawati (Author)

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