ABSTRACT

This study was embarked upon to examine the role of emotional intelligence and perceived stress on burden of care among teachers of children with special needs using Special Education Centre, Uyo as the study area. The study was premised on the fact that teachers with high level of emotional intelligence will experience higher level of burden of care. This implies that, having high emotional intelligence will put the teacher or caregiver on-the-go to attain to every need of the children in special education centre. This study also examined that perceived stress level will increase burden of care among teachers/caregivers of children with special needs. Cross sectional survey design was employed for this study, hence a total of 100 copies of structured questionnaire was administered to respondents and same were retrieved and used for data analysis. The first hypothesis which predicted that teachers with high emotional intelligence will experience higher level of burden of care was confirmed. Results showed that an increase in emotional intelligence also led to increased levels of care giver burden (β = .318 t (98) =9.674; p<.05). The second hypothesis which predicted that perceived stress level will increase burden of care among teachers of children with special needs was also confirmed. Results showed that an increase in Perceived stress also led to increased levels of caregiver burden (β = .593 t (98) = 7.295; p<.05). Results were discussed in line with relevant literature of the studied concepts and it was recommended that The Ministry of Education which is directly undertaking the management of the Special Education Centre to take into account these underlining factors associated with Burden of Care which has a direct impact on the health of teachers/caregivers caring for these children and that special interventions/support programmed which include training, retraining, increased pay package should be put in place for them since they are less in number with much of these children within the State to cater for; it was also recommended that more teachers should be employed such that the class size should not be more than (15 is to 2) which is two teachers per class of fifteen children with special needs to enhance proper teaching performance in other to reduced stress and burden of care. 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page…  …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        i

Title Page…    …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        ii

Declaration…  …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        iii

Certification…            …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        iv

Dedication…  …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        v

Acknowledgements… …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        vi

Table of Contents…   …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        vii

 

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study…    …        …        …        …        …        …        …        1

1.2       Statement of the Problem…    …        …        …        …        …        …        …        12

1.3       Research Questions… …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        13

1.4       Research Hypotheses…          …        …        …        …        …        …        …        13

1.5       Purpose of the Study…          …        …        …        …        …        …        …        13

1.6        Significance of the Study…   …        …        …        …        …        …        …        14

1.7       Scope of the Study… …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        14

1.8       Operational Definition of Terms…     …        …        …        …        …        …        15

           

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1       Theoretical Review… …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        16

2.2       Empirical Review…   …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        23

 

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1       Research Design…     …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        37 

3.2       Research Area…         …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        37

3.3       Population of Study…            …        …        …        …        …        …        …        39

3.4       Sample and Sampling Techniques…  …        …        …        …        …        …        40

3.5       Procedures…  …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        40

3.6       Instrumentation…       …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        40

3.7       Method of Data Analysis…    …        …        …        …        …        …        …        42

3.8       Ethical Issues…          …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        43

 

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND

                                  DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1       Data Presentation and Analysis…      …        …        …        …        …        …        44

4.2       Data Analysis…          …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        45

4.3       Discussion of Findings…       …        …        …        …        …        …        …        47

 

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1       Summary…     …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        50

5.2       Conclusion…  …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        50

5.3       Recommendations…  …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        51

5.4       Contribution to Knowledge…            …        …        …        …        …        …        …        51

5.5       Suggestions for Future Research…    …        …        …        …        …        …        55

            REFERENCES…    …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        54

            APPENDICES…      …        …        …        …        …        …        …        …        66

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Special groups of children or formally known as children with special needs are children and youngsters whose abilities and skills cannot be fully developed through generally practiced parenting, teaching and learning approaches. This is due to their limitations and conditions which include intellectual, hearing and visual impairment, autism, physical disabilities, multiple disabilities, etc. Some have communication problems, impaired emotional expressions, disruptive behavioural patterns, social adjustment struggle (Samitasiri, 2016). Having these children in a family certainly affects the family members. They may be in shock (Peterson, 1987). In denial and even feel depressed having to take care of the children (Bristol, Gallagher &Schopler, 1998). Having these children learn to do recreational activities, they need love to improve their self-reliance in playing a musical instrument, singing, drawing and crafting, as these will help enhanced their creativity (Samitasiri, 2016).

The term children with disabilities refers to exceptional children who have physical, mental, behavioural or sensory characteristics that differ from the majority of children such that they require special education and related services to develop their full potential (Burden, 2000).

Raising a child with a developmental disability presents unique challenges and has a significant impact on family functioning and well-being as a huge amount of time is taken up by the caring role, thereby limiting available time for the pursuit of social leisure and employment activities (Olsson & Hwang, 2001; Singer, 2006). Children with disabilities who wish to anchor financial and personal independence need to be able to access post-secondary education and overcome numerous academic barriers and this can only be made possible through the assistance of the caregivers (Aune, 1991).

Caring for children with disabilities can create anxiety and stress for parents. Parenting children with special needs (CWSN) may affect well-being (Feizi, Najma, Chorami&Hoveidafar, 2004); putting parents at risk for stress, anxiety and depression (Mitchell & Hauser-Cram, 2006; Boyd, 2002). In addition, if the disability of a child is severe, the family tends to feel more socially isolated and greater stigma. Such families are likely to experience greater stigma, loss of control, absence of support from spouse and also professional help (Raima, Donnell, Rusenbaum, Brehaut, Walter & Russell, 2005).

Parents, more often than not, are engaged full time in taking care of their children with special needs which affects their social life (Seltzer, Greenberg, Floyd, Pettee& Hong, 2001). Mothers usually take the larger burden of care for the disabled child and consciously make an effort to be with the child most of the times, leading to experiencing of more stress as compare to the fathers. Such behavior may influence her social life and create stressful situations (Moawad, 2012).

Most of the mothers of children with learning disabilities also have negative attitudes towards the child’s disability, characterized by feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, self-blame, sadness, denying the existence of the disability, excess worry and disappointed with the child. Feelings of disappointment can increase when a comparison amongst the child’s peers on their achievement (Alias & Dahlam, 2015). Disabilities are often seen to experience more negative emotions such as denying the existence of a problem, getting easily frustrated, feelings of guilt and stress when a desire to have a “normal” child doesn’t get fulfilled (Chandramuki, Shastry & Vranda, 2012; Khan & Humtsoe, 2016).

According to (IDEA, 2017), children with disability are children with mental retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and who by reason thereof needs special education and related services. Cater (2015) sees disability as a functional limitation with regard to a particular activity.

Furthermore, a child with special need is one who requires some form of special care due to physical, mental, emotional or health reasons. Children with special needs are also referred to as children with disabilities (ADA, 1992). They also defined a child with disability more specifically as one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits the child’s ability to care for herself or himself, perform manual tasks, or engage in any other major life activity such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing or learning in an age-appropriate manner. According to World Health Organization (2011), more than 15 percent of the world population is living with a significant physical or mental disability. 

Caregiver is a person who gives help and protection to someone such as children, an old person, or someone who is sick (Merriam-Webster Dictionary 2004).Whilecaregiver burden is defined as a multidimensional response to physical, psychological, emotional, social and financial stressors usually associated with the experience of caring (Kasuya, Polgar-Bailey, & Takeuchi, 2000). The difficulties of caregiving are different depending on the type of children’s abilities (Kimura & Yamazaki, 2013) also confirm that the level of difficulties of parents are different depending on the type of disabilities. It is clear that there are so many disabilities or special needs discovered among children in the world today that can be considered as we progress in this research such as; Intellectual Disability (ID), Autism, Down Syndrome, Hearing Problem, Speech Disability and Cerebral Palsy (CP).

Caregiving is defined as the process of undertaking the activities and responsibilities of caregiving (Stetz& Brown, 1997). Caregiving is not limited to a single support type; on the contrary, it involves emotional, physical and financial support (Toseland, Smith &Mccallion, 2001). Issues such as routine health care (drug intake, medication, follow-up), personal care (bathing, feeding, toilet, dressing), transportation, shopping, petty housework, money management etc. are all included in care caregiving (Toseland, Smith &Mccallion, 2001).

Burden means something that weighs down, a weary or sadness or a responsibility while caregiver denote a person who is taking care and giving help and protection to someone such as a child, and old person or someone who was sick. Datta, Russell &Gopalakrishna (2002)noted burden as a recognized medium to erode the family relationship. Hecht, Graesel, Tigges, Hillemacher, Winterholler, Hilz, Herss&Nerndorfer (2003) classified somatic symptoms, emotional strains and economic problems as components of the burdens of caregivers. Datta, Russell &Gopalakrishna(2002) examined many types of burden like financial burden, burden associated with family routine, burden to effects on family interaction, burden caused by the effects on the physical health of others family members and the burden from the effects on the mental health of other family members. Caregivers’ situations may add to the limited knowledge on caregivers’ burden, stress, and experiences in families of children with disabilities (Vaughan, Feinn, Bernard, Brereton & Kaufman, 2013). Caregivers’ burden and stress in families of children with severe psychiatric disorders is layered and complex (Lazarus &Folkman, 1984).

Caregivers’ burden can be described as the aspects of care that can lead to difficulty with emotional well-being, social situations, and quality of life. It has been defined as the perceived negative impact of caregiving on the primary caregiver (Heru, 2000; Ivarsson,Sidevall&Carlsson, 2004). Dimensions of caregiver burden can include both objective and subjective forms, and both can be problematic for caregivers (Reinhard,Gubman, Horwitz, &Minsky, 1994; Thompson & Doll, 1982). Objective burden can be described as the easily observable difficulties and inconveniences associated with the care of a relative with a clinically diagnosed mental illness (e.g. financial strain/disruptions of everyday routine), while subjective burden (e.g. worry, embarrassment/overload) can be described as the negative feelings experienced and associated with the care of a relative with a clinically diagnosed mental illness.

According to Collins,Given & Given (1994), caregiver burden is defined as the negative objective and subjective outcomes such as “experiencing psychological distress, physical health problems, economic and social problems, breakdown of family relationships and feelings of despair which are brought about by the caregiving burden undertaken by the caregiver”. Caregivers of children with learning disabilities have been shown to experience increase stress and greater negative caregiving consequences than those with typically developing children (Burden, 2000).

Indeed, the difficulties or level of burden caregiver of disabled children experience may be different depending on the type of disabilities of the children, and it is important to note that there are many factors influencing the level of burden caregiver of disable children has. One of the factors identified was the income of the caregivers. (Emerson, 2003) stated that the family having an intellectual disabled (ID) child tends to be economically disadvantaged compared to the family supporting a child that does not have intellectual disa

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