Abstract

Background: Teaching is one of the most stressful jobs. This research aims to evaluate the validity of the scale for measuring occupational stress among Iranian teachers. Materials and Methods:  This cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 2020 to January 2021 using a quantitative approach and the psychometric validation research method. The research sample consisted of specialists (n = 16) and teachers assisting in the initial (n = 35) and main (n = 365) implementation phases of the questionnaire for validation of Rosenberg's teacher stress scale (2010). The sample of specialists was selected by the purposive sampling method, and the sample of teachers was selected by the simple random method. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with SPSS was utilized to classify dimensions of occupational stress. In addition, a first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis with PLS was performed to evaluate construct validity (P < 0.05). Results: Content validity assessment confirmed 36 items. The reliability of the questionnaire, 35 out of 36 items, was confirmed. The EFA calculation of the items showed that the measures could be classified into 11 factors, and the factor load of all items was above 0.3, being valid. In addition, the calculation of the second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed that the 11 factors would explain the construct of occupational stress (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the goodness-of-fit index results showed high fitness of the model. Conclusion: The questionnaire provided an effective instrument for measuring occupational stress and filling the gap in the absence of a comprehensive scale.