FREQUENT EMOTIONAL SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A BEHAVIORAL INDICATOR OF TEACHER INTERPERSONAL STRESS IN FINLAND AND SOUTH KOREA

Wooryeon Go, Janne Pietarinen, Sari Havu-Nuutinen

Abstract


This study examined the associations between the frequency of emotional social support (ESS) use and teacher interpersonal stress in Finland and South Korea, focusing on problematic student behaviors. Data from 268 teachers were analyzed using multi-group structural equation modeling, assessing ESS from colleagues, friends, and family/relatives, controlling for teaching experience. At the latent level, more frequent ESS use was associated with higher teacher stress in both countries. When disaggregated by social network source, only collegial ESS showed consistent associations with stress. In both contexts, frequent collegial ESS was linked to interpersonal stress related to students’ demanding requests. Context-specific patterns also emerged. In Finland, collegial ESS was additionally associated with stress from verbal aggression, whereas in Korea it was linked to stress from general disliked rude behaviors. These findings suggest that frequent ESS use reflects ongoing coping efforts in response to persistent interpersonal stress, rather than the effectiveness of support itself. By conceptualizing ESS use as a behavioral indicator of sustained emotional demands, this study highlights its potential for identifying teachers experiencing elevated stress. Monitoring collegial ESS frequency may support early identification and inform targeted interventions to promote effective emotional processing and teacher wellbeing.

Keywords


emotional social support, coping strategies, interpersonal stress, problematic student behaviors, teacher wellbeing

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i7.6733

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