Abstract
The decreasing birth rate in Taiwan has caused a significant enrollment drop among many universities in Taiwan. In the year of 2022, a total of 19 universities have failed to reach a 60% enrollment rate. According to the statistics provided by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, at least twelve universities have been shut down and six more are on the observation list due to difficulty in student recruitment. This in return has forced all the universities into a battle of recruitment scramble. To secure their job positions, faculties and teachers are shouldering more responsibilities and tasks to compensate for the loss of tuition income. Under such circumstance, teachers in higher education are experiencing an elevated level of stress and workload. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate teachers’ work stress and have a better understanding of their coping strategies by using a triangulation method. Results of the study showed that teachers showed symptoms of burnout, stress-related health problems, lower work productivity and motivation and etc. Strategies that teachers use to cope with stress include self-adjustment, peer support and delaying problems; they also reported to have thought of job changing and early retirement. It is hoped that this study may provide suggestions and insights for teachers and administrators amid the educational crisis caused by low birth rate.
Author Information
Pey-chewn Duo, Ming-Chuan University, Taiwan
MIn-Hsun Su, Ming-Chuan University, Taiwan
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