Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine factors attributed to primary schools adolescents’ stress and common stress coping strategies they use. Four research questions guided this study. The study employed mixed research approach. Descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 225 primary schools’ adolescents and 15 primary class teachers and five primary heads of schools. Data were collected through structured questionnaire, semi structured interviews and focus group discussion. Data were analysed using both content and thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal that, most of adolescents had experienced stress even though some of them were not sure whether they were stressed or not due to lack of knowledge regarding stress and the sources of stress. Furthermore, the study found that two thirds of primary school adolescents often experienced symptoms of stress implying that they had high stress levels. Similarly, the study found that majority of the pupils often employed positive coping strategies. The study concludes that primary school adolescents in Moshi municipality were subjected to high levels of stress which affects their psychological wellbeing although they had not been able to address the sources of stress. Adolescents lacked the awareness of signs and symptoms of stress which increased the level of stress among them. Moreover, the pupils reported nervousness, anger, anxiety, sickness and lack of concentration during class hours. Primary schools adolescents were not able to device relevant coping strategies against stress. The Ministry of Education should put more emphasis on the issue of stress and coping strategies in primary schools by introducing well-structured formal support systems. The family should learn to support and be helpful for adolescents faced with stress, no matter how they are adapting to the stress. Moreover, schools should pay attention to students’ trouble with learning and apply appropriate strategies to enhance their learning effectiveness