School Climate and Financial Management Practices on Occupational Stress of Teachers

Abstract

This study examined the relationship among school climate, financial management practices, and occupational stress of public elementary school teachers in Districts 2 and 8 of the Division of Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines for School Year 2025–2026. Using a descriptive-correlational research design, respondents were drawn from sixteen participating schools through proportionate stratified random sampling. School climate was examined in terms of supportive principal behavior, directive principal behavior, restrictive principal behavior, collegial teacher behavior, intimate teacher behavior, and disengaged teacher behavior. Results showed that these behaviors are oftentimes observed with supportive principal behavior almost always observed. Financial management practices were assessed in terms of budget practices, savings practices, spending practices, investing practices, and credit practices. These practices were manifested oftentimes with budget practices having the highest mean. Teachers are in high agreement on experiencing occupational stress with working environment as the highest stressor followed by administrative demands and professional distress. Results showed that teachers were found to work within a supportive and collegially engaged school environment, practice financial management with moderate consistency characterized by stronger budgeting and spending behaviors but comparatively weaker saving, investing, and credit management habits, and experience occupational stress most prominently in relation to their working environment conditions. Furthermore, both school climate and financial management practices are significantly and positively related to occupational stress while restrictive principal behavior, investing practices, disengaged teacher behavior, directive principal behavior, and spending are predictors of occupational stress. The study recommends leadership development initiatives, a financial literacy and wellness program for teachers, and policy reforms to reduce stress of teachers.