Literature on the effects of stress on cognitive processes shows that under high levels of stress cognitive performance is reduced (Baradell & Klein, 1993; Bar-Tal et al., 1999; Janis, 1993). Research on teacher stress reaffirms the impact of stress on teachers’ performance. Researchers like Pithers (1995), Chan (2003), and Wiley (2000) indicate that stress leads to poor teaching performance. It has also been shown that teachers often work in very stressful circumstances, and literature on teaching suggests that teaching is a process of decision making. However, very few studies have explored the effects of stress on teacher decision making. One such study, conducted by the researcher demonstrated that stress led to ineffective decision making by teachers regarding misbehavior in urban elementary schools in one large city in the Western United States (Gokalp, 2012). Both studies in Europe and the United States  also show that teachers are faced with occupational stress daily due to interpersonal demands that accompany the job, and heavy task demands and expectations (Antoniou, Polychroni, & Vlachakis, 2006; Brown & Nagel, 2004; Kerlin, 2002; Kyriacou, 2001; Pithers, 1995), which in turn impacts work performance, health and the psychological status of the teachers (Antoniou, Polychroni, & Vlachakis, 2006; Kokkinos,  Panayiotou, & Davazoglou, 2005; Pithers, 1995).

          Turkish teachers also identify teaching as a very stressful occupation due to the same stress factors (Akpınar, 2008; Baysal, 1995; Cemaloglu & Sahin, 2007; Isıkhan, 2004). Since Turkey is a developing country, the constant change in policies regarding teaching and learning also serves as a source of stress for Turkish teachers (Gunduz, 2005). Especially when the changing educational policies lead to more difficult working conditions with low pay, limited resources, and crowded classrooms particularly in poverty stricken districts in metropolitan cities, causing stress and burnout (Akpınar, 2008; Cemaloglu & Kayabası, 2007; Gunduz, 2005). This, along with the fact that often teachers are required make important decisions under very stressful conditions (Kerlin, 2002; Kyriacou, 2001; Pithers, 1995) shows the importance of exploring the effects of stress on teacher decision making in Turkey. 

Keeping these findings in mind, the current study explores the effects of stress on teachers in class decision making by examining the role stress plays in the decisions teachers make in dealing with classroom based problems (strategies selected to deal with misbehaviors) in K-12 settings in a large city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. The specific research questions are:

1- Do levels of reported teacher stress influence teachers’ strategy selection?

2- Do the different behavior problems influence probability ratings of using each of the seven strategies?

3- Does reported teacher stress influence the kind of information teachers use to choose a strategy to deal with the disruptive behavior?

The findings of the study will have important implications for teacher training and development as it will highlight the importance of providing teachers with the skills to deal with the stresses associated with teaching which seems to be a universal problem teachers face impacting their in class choices and the quality of instruction they provide.

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