Managing Digital Strain: Coping Mechanisms of Master Teachers Amid Technostress
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67903/ijroms0593Keywords:
Adaptive Coping, Collaborative Support, Master Teachers, Phenomenology, TechnostressAbstract
Digital technologies have expanded teachers’ professional demands, yet little is known about how Master Teachers, who combine teaching, mentoring, and technical-support responsibilities, experience and manage technology-related strain. This qualitative study explored the experiences of ten Master Teachers in elementary schools in Quezon IV District, Division of Bukidnon, during School Year 2026–2027. Participants were purposively selected for their direct experience with technology-related professional tasks. The study used a phenomenological orientation and researcher-developed semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded and transcribed, and the transcripts were analyzed through thematic analysis. Four themes were generated, one for each research question: (1) navigating increasing digital demands and continuous technological adjustment, which described the situations that produced technostress; (2) adaptive coping and self-management, which described the practices participants reported using; (3) collaborative support and shared responsibility, which described the help participants received from colleagues, school leaders, and learners; and (4) peer-directed advice, which described the guidance participants offered other Master Teachers. Reported stressors included concurrent online reports, unfamiliar applications, unstable connectivity, frequent procedural changes, after-hours communication, and requests to troubleshoot for colleagues. Participants reported prioritizing tasks, organizing digital files, learning platforms independently, troubleshooting, and asking for help. Setting limits on after-hours communication and using school technical support appeared chiefly as advice rather than as reported practice. Because the study relied on self-reported accounts from a small, single-district sample, it did not assess whether these practices reduced technostress, and the findings are not intended for statistical generalization. The findings suggest that managing technostress involves both individual strategies and institutional conditions, namely timely orientation, accessible technical assistance, clear reporting procedures, and manageable digital workloads.
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