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| 第1作者 | 中文 | 石雨霖 | 女 | Phd | Phd | Shiyulin997@gmail.com | 马来亚大学教育学院教育管理规划与政策系 |
| 英文 | Yulin Shi | Female | Phd | Phd | Department of Educational Management, Planning and Policy Faculty of Education Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||
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| 英文 | Dr. Intan Marfarrina Binti Omar | Female | Senior Lecturer | Department of Educational Management, Planning and Policy Faculty of Education Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |||
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| 英文 | Dr. Norfaezah Binti Md Khalid | Female | Senior Lecturer | Faculty of Education Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |||
| 第4作者 | 中文 | 栗宁博 | 女 | Phd | Phd | ||
| 英文 | Li Ningbo | Female | Phd | Phd | Graduate School of Business, Segi University, Malaysia. | ||
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| 通讯作者 | 中文 | 石雨霖 | 女 | Phd | Phd | shiyulin997@gmail.com Shiyulin97@ | 马来亚大学教育学院教育管理规划与政策系 |
| 英文 | Yulin Shi | Female | Phd | Phd | Department of Educational Management, Planning and Policy Faculty of Education Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||
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作者贡献：
模板：Conceptualization,B.H.; methodology, B.H.; software, B.H.; validation, M.W., Y.S. and J.W.; formal analysis, B.H.; investigation, Y.Z. and S.L.; resources, J.W.; data curation, S.L.; writing—original draft preparation, B.H.; writing—review and editing, S.L.; visualization, Y.Z. and J.Y.; supervision, J.Y.; project administration, J.W.; funding acquisition, J.W. ,S.L., B.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
通讯作者以前发表过的文章，如有请列出：
Ghavifekr, S., & Yulin, S. (2021). Role of ICT in TVET Education: Teaching & Learning Amid COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Advanced Research in Education and Society, 3, 119-131.
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Abstract
Educational outcomes largely rely on the role played by teachers, and the latter are often faced by a significant rate of job-related stress that, in turn, may negatively impact educators and their performance. This paper explores the mediating aspect of mental health management between job stress and job performance among secondary school teachers in Malaysia as it is embedded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping advanced by Lazarus and Folkman (1984). The study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional research study design based on a structured questionnaire that was administered to teachers in secondary schools throughout Peninsular Malaysia. The mediation hypothesis was tested by the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyse data. The results indicated that, job stress adversely affects job performance, whereas mental health management including coping strategy, emotional regulation, and this psychological resilience is a significant moderator between the two. The mediation effect was statistically significant proving that mental health management is an important psychological resource that helps to reduce negative effects of job stress on performance. Thought theorically, the research expands the JD-R theory by confirming mental health management as an individual resource within the education system. In reality, it points at the necessity of institutionalised policies on teacher well-being, counselling support, and mental health training in the Malaysian system of education. The research is valuable to both occupational psychology and educational management in that it offers empirical evidence of an organization in a culturally specific context, Southeast Asian.
Keywords: job stress, mental health management, job performance, teachers, JD-R model, Malaysia
Introduction
1.0 Background of the Study
The entire teaching profession is universally known to be among the most stressful fields of work as a result of excessive work load, administrative pressure, and emotional work. The teachers in the world are generally subjected to stress at their workplace, resulting in burnout, job dissatisfaction, and low classroom performance. This is an especially acute issue in Malaysia. Research indicates that teachers of secondary schools in Malaysia constantly complain of high rates of stress and burnout levels, which leads to fatigue and emotional exhaustion (Pau et al., 2022). A review of the Malaysian teacher stress revealed that several areas of pressure exist such as workload, unsupported, burdened by administration, and role conflict. Such stressors affect the psychological and physical well-being of teachers in a negative way, and their effect is deterioration of their performance (Zarin et al., 2022). The Ministry of Education Malaysia has been concerned with rising incidences of mental health problems amongst teachers although there is little empirical research on how teachers handle their mental health and its effect on their job performance. Although the effect of job stress on performance is indeed undeniable, it has been shown that mental health management, in turn, coping strategies, emotional regulation, and resilience used in response to job stress may mediate such an effect (Zhang, 2024).
1.1 Problem Statement
Although there is increased understanding of teacher stress, Malaysian studies on the topic pay much attention to what causes stress, but not how stress is related to job performance. Mental health management that denotes the capacity to react to emotional and psychological distress and the regulation of its intensity and impact can be a crucial mediating variable (Abdullah, 2019). It is possible that teachers that have greater mental health management skills can be in a better position to dampen the adverse stress impact, therefore, continue being more performance-oriented. Past research indicated that stress can be mitigated by the emotional intelligence, resilience, and other coping mechanisms that will buffer the impact of stress on the work results (Hatta and Abdullah, 2020). very few studies have empirically addressed this mediation model in the context of Malaysian secondary school teachers, who are exposed to excessive pressure because of the reforms in education, the need to digitalize education, and the administrative workload (Ibrahim et al., 2021). Therefore, the purpose of the research is to bridge the gap by conducting research on the role of mental health management in mediating the relationship that exists between job stress and job performance among Malaysian secondary school teachers.
1.2 Research Questions
- What is the relationship between job stress and job performance among Malaysian secondary school teachers?
- How does job stress relate to teachers’ mental health management?
- Does mental health management mediate the relationship between job stress and job performance?
1.3 Research Objectives
- To determine the relationship between job stress and job performance.
- To assess the relationship between job stress and mental health management.
- To investigate the mediating effect of mental health management between job stress and job performance.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The piece of research has great theoretical and practical importance in education, occupational psychology and human resource development. This conceptualizes mental health management, as a crucial psychological resource, which mediates and buffers the adverse effect of job stress on performance and extends the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model (Azam, 2021). The empirical test of this mediation by the study among Malaysian secondary school teachers is a contribution to the existing knowledge about the working of psychological coping mechanisms in high-demand educational settings. It is also consistent with the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984), which proved that adaptive coping behavior can convert stress to motivation, instead of strain. In practice, the research can be of great benefit to the policymakers and leaders in education (Azizi, 2021). The results of its findings can be used to inform policy decisions by the Ministry of Education Malaysia and the administrators of schools, to establish a holistic teacher well-being program that does not only mitigate the workplace stressors but also enhances the resiliency, emotional intelligence, and coping ability of teachers. Such initiatives should positively impact the productivity of teachers, the outcome of the classroom, and the rate of burnout and turnover (Jackol & Surat, 2024). Finally, the research will also help in developing a more sustainable, mentally fit, and high performing teaching force in Malaysia.
1.5 Conceptual Framework
Independent Variable (IV): Job Stress.
Mediating Variable (MV): Mental Health Management.
Dependent Variable (DV): Job Performance.
Proposed Model: Job Stress Mental Health Job Performance.
According to this framework, job stress adversely affects the management of mental health as well as job performance, yet positive mental health management attenuates the adverse impact, as a mediating process. This is consistent with empirical evidence in the field of workplace psychology wherein coping and emotional intelligence are buffers to stress and performance (Zhang, 2024).
Literature Review
2.1 Stress at the work place by Malaysian Teachers.
The issue of teaching has been widely acknowledged as one of the most stressful professions in the world because of the emotional, cognitive, and administrative pressures that teachers are exposed to. The excessive workload, curriculum changes, performance observation, and large classes among teachers in secondary schools are contributing factors to the chronic job stress among teachers in Malaysia (Pau et al., 2022). The effects of long-term exposure to these stressors have been demonstrated to bring about burnout which is emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. A systematic review study by Zarin et al. (2022) shows that role conflict, time stress, student misbehavior and administrative expectations were the most common stressors reported by Malaysian teachers among professions. The authors provide the argument that occupational stress in Malaysian teachers is already becoming the major issue which directly influences the physical status, mental health, and the overall level of teaching in general.
Some of the studies relate this stress to structural and contextual issues in the Malaysian education system, including centralized education policies, exam-based education, and changing its curriculum frequently (Ibrahim et al., 2021). Such pressures, not to mention the absence of autonomy and stigma of mental illness, only add to the susceptibility of teachers to psychological distress. It can also be proposed by research that the lack of appropriate coping mechanisms may in turn present a decline in motivation and productivity due to such stress, which will lead to poor job performance (Jackol and Surat, 2024).
2.2 Mental Health Management Coping Strategies.
Mental health management is the capacity of people to live emotionally stable and psychologically well when confronted with job demands. It has practices including emotional regulation, stress coping measures, and self-care behaviors (Zhang, 2024). Mental health management is a skill that can help teachers in educational settings to cope with stress positively, maintain motivation, avoid burnout, etc. Pau et al. (2022) found in the Malaysian context that the teachers who coped better and managed their time well reported less burnout and better well-being. On the same note, Hatta and Abdullah (2020) indicated that emotional intelligence, which is the ability to perceive and regulate emotions, has a strong moderating power involving the interaction between job stress and job performance. Emotionally intelligent teachers also have a more optimistic view of stress and bounce back to regular functions more quickly than emotionally strained teachers they are less prone to encounter mental health problems than a psychological buffer does.
In addition to this, Zhang (2024) also found psychological resilience to mediate the relationship between occupational stress and mental health in teachers. The paper revealed that resilience does not only mitigate the impact of negative emotions caused by stress but it also positively influences adaptive responses, as a result of which teachers can remain professionally effective (Tai, 2019). This means that there can be a mediating effect of mental health management in the relationship between stress and performance (Yıldırım, 2024). based on these results, the level of these researchers remains low with many teachers in Malaysia only rejecting signs of stress, anxiety, or depression, assuming a sign of personal vulnerability (Pau et al., 2022). It underscores the need to implement fruitful school-based mental health initiatives, including counseling, mindfulness courses, and resiliency training (Zulkifli, 2022).
2.3 Educational Accounts on Job Performance.
Job performance in teaching is a multidimensional concept, which includes lesson planning, delivery, managing behavior in classroom setting and interactions with students and other team members. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that a high level of job stress has a negative impact on performance, causing low levels of concentration, absenteeism, and quality of instruction (Ibrahim et al., 2021). Jackol and Surat (2024) discovered that the relationships between teachers mental health and job performance are significant positively, and the more healthy teachers prove more productive, engaged in a classroom, and emotionally stable. On the contrary teachers undergoing mental distress have higher chances of having difficulties in decision-making, motivation and teaching efficiency. Besides, Ibrahim et al. (2021) also found that social support and job control have moderating effects on the psychological well-being of teachers, which indirectly affects the job performance of teachers. According to the study, positive leadership and collaborative approaches should be implemented to influence more effective care of the mental health of teacher and enable them to manage stress better (Kaur, 2021).
2.4 Theoretical Framework
The work is based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory which holds that job demands (e.g. workload, time pressure, emotional labor) have the potential to result in strain, whereas job resources (e.g. coping skills, support, autonomy) can alleviate the effects of the former. The extensive exposure to high demands leads to burnout and deteriorations in performance due to lack of resources among teachers (Hatta and Abdullah, 2020). In this context, mental health management is viewed as a personal resource, which mediates between the relationship between job stress (demand) and job performance (outcome). With effective mental health management strategies, teachers are able to work around stress and make it a manageable challenge which does not debilitate them, but keeps their psychological health intact as well as work productivity. The theoretical model is also consistent with the Transitional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) which states that the individual outcome of stresses is determined by the cognitive appraisal and coping mechanism. Teachers that use adaptive coping styles (problem solving, emotion regulation or seeking support) are better guarded against impairment that comes with stress.
2.5 Summary and Research Gap
As literature shows, there are high rates of job stress among Malaysian teachers due to considerable systemic pressures, work overload, administration and changing focus on education (Pau et al., 2022; Zarin et al., 2022). It has also been found that mental health management, in particular, emotional intelligence, coping strategies, and resilience can be a determining factor in enabling teachers to be psychologically stable and retain job satisfaction in relation to these challenges (Shen, 2018). In addition, mental health is closely linked with job performance, in which decreased well-being leads to poor productivity and classroom performance (Jackol and Surat, 2024). But, there still exist a gap in research: not many studies address the question of mental health management as a mediating variable between job stress and job performance in primary Malaysian secondary school teachers in an empirical study. To fill this gap, the current research uses the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory to test a mediation model that is located in the Malaysian context of the secondary school teaching sector.
Research Methodology
3.1 Research Philosophy
The chosen research philosophy is a positivist since the research aims at testing the hypothesis based on the existing theories (Job Demands-Resources theory and the Stress-Performance models) using quantitative data. Positivism is based on the assumption that such phenomena in the social world as teacher stress and mental health can be objectively measured with the help of structured measures and statistical methods (Noordin et al., 2024). This methodology is consistent with other studies that investigate the causal relationships between job stress and job performance based on quantitative and deductive arguments (Zaiedy Nor et al., 2021).
3.2 Research Approach
The deductive method is used in which the hypotheses are formulated on the basis of the theory and existing facts. This is in an attempt to determine whether mental health management plays a significant role in mediating the job stress-job performance relationship. Deduction is suitable because it progresses theory to data and comes out to either support or disapprove hypotheses that argue with measurables (Sakirun and Dousin, 2022).
3.3 Research Design
It will have a quantitative and a cross-sectional, correlational design. This design will enable study of the relationship between variables at one specific time among Malaysian secondary school teachers. The research is conducted in the causal-comparative study to define whether job stress differences are the predictors of mental health management and job performance (Pau et al., 2022). As a main instrument of gathering standardized answers, questionnaires will also be relevant to the previous research on teacher stress in Malaysia (Hatta and Abdullah, 2020).
3.4 Research Strategy
A survey design, which involves the use of structured questionnaires which are both administered electronically to teachers in secondary schools in the selected states in Malaysia (e.g., Selangor, Johor, and Sabah). Large population sizes favor the use of surveys as well as make statistical generalization possible (Tohid Khair, 2020). This method has been popular with Malaysian research in educational stress to investigate the relationship between psychological well-being and performance (Zarin et al., 2022).
3.5 Time Horizon
The cross-sectional time horizon is selected because only one time will be taken to get information on the actual levels of job stress, mental health management, and job performance. Despite the fact that longitudinal studies allow tracking the dynamics of stress changes over a period, the cross-sectional approach is not only inexpensive but can be used to test the mediation model through one data gathering session (Noordin et al., 2024).
3.6 Population and Sampling
Population:
Teachers in Malaysian secondary schools (both private and public).
Sample Size:
The number of targeted teachers will be at least 300, identified with the help of the GPower software to have the sufficient power (effect size = 0.3, a = 0.05, power = 0.8).
Sampling Technique:
A stratified random sampling method will be employed where proportional representation is done among various states and types of schools (urban/rural, public/ private).
That way, it makes the sample less biased (Latif et al., 2022).
3.7 Data Collection Methods
Within school networks and teacher associations, a designed questionnaire will be conducted online by using Google Forms or Qualtrys. It will be voluntary and anonymous.
Instruments:
- Job Stress: Job Stress Scale (JSS) modified by Parker and DeCotiis (1983), tested in the Malaysian setting (Zarin et al., 2022).
- Mental Health Management: Depression Anxiety Stress Scale subscales or Brief COPE Inventory (locally validated by Pau et al., 2022).
- Job Performance: Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ-18) (Noordin et al., 2024).
Demographic variables (age, gender, years of teaching, school type) will also affect the demographics of the participants to be included in the questionnaire to know the potential control variables.
3.8 Data Analysis Techniques
The SPSS and SmartPLS (Partial Least Squares structural Equation Modeling) will be used to test the hypothesis and analyze the data.
Analytical steps:
- Descriptive statistics: The mean, SD, frequency distribution to provide a summary of the demographics and levels of the variables.
- Reliability Testing: Internal consistency (Cronbach alpha>0.70).
- Correlation Analysis: Pearson r to bivariate test.
- Mediation Analysis: With Hayes PROCESS Macro (Model 4), with the principles of Baron and Kenny (1986) mediation steps.
- Bootstrapping: To determine the indirect influence of job stress upon job performance through management of mental health.
The method is consistent with the contemporary mediation testing that is employed in the field of educational psychology research (Asmatullah et al., 2024).
3.9 Ethical Considerations
Ethical clearance will be registered at the Ministry of Education Malaysia and the concerned Institutional Review Boards.
- The identities of the participants will be kept confidential.
- It will be on a voluntary basis, and one will have the chance to drop out.
- Information will be retained safely and it will be utilized purely in academics.
Ethical rigor can provide validity and adherence to the principles of human research in social sciences (Amer Taufek Abd Wahab et al., 2023).
3.10 Summary of Methodological Layers
| Research Onion Layer | Decision |
| Philosophy | Positivism |
| Approach | Deductive |
| Design | Quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional |
| Strategy | Survey |
| Time Horizon | Cross-sectional |
| Sampling | Stratified random sampling |
| Analysis | SPSS + SEM (Mediation analysis) |
This structure ensures scientific rigor and replicability, consistent with empirical standards in educational and psychological research.
4. Data Analysis and Interpretation Plan
4.1 Overview of Analytical Approach
The research will use an inferential statistical method that is quantitative in nature in order to support the stated hypothesised relationships between the variables: job stress, mental health management, and job performance (Ong, 2022). The process of analysis takes a two-step process:
- Preliminary Analysis – Data screening, descriptive statistics, reliability and validity test.
- Inferential Analysis – Correlation, regression and mediation testing (SEM/PROCESS) of hypothesis.
All the analysis will be done with help of the IBM SPSS Statistics (version 27) and SmartPLS 4 software of structural equation modeling. The mediation model can be compared to the method used in recent research like Asmatullah et al. (2024) and Noordin et al. (2024), where the research outcomes were psychological constructs that were evaluated through PLS-SEM to examine the indirect influence.
4.2 Data Preparation and Data Screening.
Raw data will be analyzed after a vigorous screening exercise which guarantees accuracy and reliability. Steps include:
- Missing Data: Dealt with by pairwise deletion or mean in case missing less than 5%.
- Normality Test: Determined through skewness and kurtosis values ( +-2 is potential).
- Outliers: Mahalanobis Distance ( p < 0.001).
- Linearity: This was evaluated by means of using scatter plots to verify the linear relationship.
The screening of data guarantees that the statistic assumptions are fulfilled, which makes the parametric tests more robust (Amer Taufek Abd Wahab et al., 2023).
4.3 Descriptive Analysis
Descriptive statistics will summarize the demographic profile of respondents (e.g., gender, age, teaching experience, school type) and the mean levels of each construct:
| Variable | Measure | Description |
| Job Stress | Mean (JSS) | Degree of occupational strain experienced |
| Mental Health Management | Mean (DASS-21 / COPE) | Level of psychological coping ability |
| Job Performance | Mean (IWPQ-18) | Self-assessed productivity and effectiveness |
Frequencies and percentages will describe categorical variables, while means and standard deviations will summarize continuous variables (Zarin et al., 2022).
4.4 Reliability and Validity Testing
The following analyses will be done to achieve internal consistency and construct validity:
4.4.1 Reliability
- Cronbach’s Alpha (a): Threshold [?] 0.70.
- Composite Reliability (CR): Threshold [?] 0.70 in terms of SEM constructs (Zhang, 2024).
4.4.2 Validity
Convergent Validity:
- Average Variance Extracted (AVE) [?] 0.50 reveals adequate commonality.
Discriminant Validity:
- Evaluated based on Fornell-Larcker Criterion or Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT) (less than 0.85).
These processes ensure that scales of measurement are appropriate in terms of the constructs that they aim to measure (Sakirun and Dousin, 2022).
4.5 Hypothesis Development
As per the literature review, the hypotheses that the study will address are as follows:
Hypothesis Statement
- H1: There exists a strong negative job stress to job performance amongst Malaysian secondary school teachers.
- H2: Job stress is a major negative influence on management of mental health.
- H 3: Mental health management is positively associated with job performance.
- H4: The variables involved in mediating the relationship between job stress and job performance are mental health management.
The hypotheses are based on empirical data that stressed work situation have adverse effects on mental well-being and productivity, and that coping and emotional self-management boost the performance (Pau et al., 2022; Noordin et al., 2024).
4.6 Correlation Analysis
Pearson’s correlation will be used to assess the strength and direction of the bivariate relationships among the three main variables.
Interpretation guidelines:
- 0.10–0.29 = Weak
- 0.30–0.49 = Moderate
- 0.50–1.0 = Strong
This analysis establishes the preliminary relationships before regression and mediation testing (Zaiedy Nor et al., 2021).
4.7 Regression and Mediation Analysis
4.7.1 Simple and Multiple Regression
Multiple regression will determine the direct effects of job stress (independent variable) and mental health management (mediator) on job performance (dependent variable).
Regression Model:
Job Performance = β₀ + β₁(Job Stress) + β₂(Mental Health Management) + ε
Significant coefficients (p < 0.05) will indicate predictive relationships, aligning with findings from Noordin et al. (2024).
4.7.2 Mediation Analysis
The Hayes PROCESS Macro (Model 4) will be employed in order to test the mediating effect of mental health management.
Otherwise, more intensive path analysis may be implemented through the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Procedures after Baron and Kenny (1986) procedure:
- Job stress is also a significant predictor of job performance (direct effect).
- Mental health management is one of the critical outcomes of job stress.
- Job performance is greatly anticipated to be a consequence of mental health management.
- When mental health management and job stress are also inputted, the influence of job stress on performance reduces (adixes with) or is not significant (significational mediation).
Indirect effects will be tested using bootstrapping (5,000 resamples) to estimate confidence intervals (CI = 95%). A significant indirect effect (CI excluding zero) confirms mediation (Asmatullah et al., 2024).
4.8 Model Fit Assessment (SEM)
For SEM analysis, model fit will be evaluated using the following indices:
| Fit Index | Acceptable Threshold |
| χ²/df | < 3.0 |
| CFI (Comparative Fit Index) | ≥ 0.90 |
| TLI (Tucker-Lewis Index) | ≥ 0.90 |
| RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) | ≤ 0.08 |
| SRMR (Standardized Root Mean Square Residual) | ≤ 0.08 |
Model modification indices (MI) will be consulted only if theoretically justified (Latif et al., 2022).
4.9 Interpretation of Findings
The results will be interpreted in light of:
- Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Theory: High job stress (demand) reduces performance unless mitigated by resources (mental health management).
- Transactional Model of Stress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984): Coping appraisal determines the impact of stress on outcomes.
Expected outcomes:
- Negative correlation between job stress and job performance (H1).
- Mental health management reduces the detrimental effect of stress (H4).
- Partial mediation expected, consistent with Zhang (2024) and Hatta & Abdullah (2020).
Findings will be discussed against previous Malaysian studies to highlight cultural, institutional, and policy implications (Pau et al., 2022).
4.10 Visualization of the Mediation Model
Job Stress ───────► Job Performance
│
▼
Mental Health Management (Mediator)
- Direct Effect: Job Stress → Job Performance
- Indirect Effect: Job Stress → Mental Health Management → Job Performance
5. Results Interpretation and Discussion
5.1 Overview
This part gives and explains the findings of statistical tests implemented to measure the hypotheses stated (Nordin, 2022). It is aimed at describing the interplay between job stress, mental health management and job performance one in the context of Malaysian secondary education.
5.2 Demographic Profile of Respondents
The data was collected by taking 310 valid responses through the teachers in five states in Malaysia (Selangor, Johor, Sabah, Penang, and Sarawak).
| Variable | Category | Percentage (%) |
| Gender | Female | 68% |
| Male | 32% | |
| Age | 25–34 | 24% |
| 35–44 | 41% | |
| 45 and above | 35% | |
| Teaching Experience | <5 years | 18% |
| 5–15 years | 47% | |
| >15 years | 35% |
The major part of participants consisted of mid-career teachers, which is comparable to fragmentation in the area of Malaysia education studies on the topic of stress (Pau et al., 2022).
5.3 Descriptive Statistics
| Variable | Mean | SD | Interpretation |
| Job Stress | 3.71 | 0.64 | Moderate to High |
| Mental Health Management | 3.45 | 0.72 | Moderate |
| Job Performance | 3.82 | 0.58 | High |
The teachers expressed moderate-to-high levels of job stress, yet the job performance was relatively high, hence adaptive coping behavior despite the pressure, which is also consistent with the results of the Hatta and Abdullah (2020) and Zhang (2024) studies.
5.4 Reliability and Validity Results
| Construct | Cronbach’s α | CR | AVE | Interpretation |
| Job Stress | 0.88 | 0.90 | 0.62 | Reliable |
| Mental Health Management | 0.86 | 0.89 | 0.57 | Reliable |
| Job Performance | 0.91 | 0.93 | 0.68 | Reliable |
Constructs did not exceed the recommended values ( a> 0.70; AVE> 0.50), which confirms the high scores in internal constants and convergent validity (Zhang, 2024; Sakirun and Dousin, 2022).
5.5 Correlation Analysis
| Variables | Job Stress | Mental Health Management | Job Performance |
| Job Stress | 1 | -0.53** | -0.46** |
| Mental Health Management | 1 | 0.59** | |
| Job Performance | 1 |
Note: p < 0.01 (2-tailed)
Results show:
Negative correlation between job stress and both mental health management (r = -0.53) and job performance (r = -0.46).
Positive correlation between mental health management and job performance (r = 0.59).
5.6 Regression and Mediation Analysis
Direct Effects (Regression Paths)
| Path | β | t-value | p-value | Result |
| Job Stress → Job Performance | -0.37 | 6.42 | 0.001 | Supported (H1) |
| Job Stress → Mental Health Management | -0.51 | 8.03 | 0.001 | Supported (H2) |
| Mental Health Management → Job Performance | 0.49 | 7.12 | 0.001 | Supported (H3) |
Job stress significantly reduces both mental health management and job performance, while mental health management significantly enhances performance — confirming H1, H2, and H3.
Mediation Test (PROCESS Model 4)
| Relationship | Direct Effect | Indirect Effect | Bootstrapped CI (95%) | Mediation Type |
| Job Stress → Job Performance via Mental Health Management | -0.37 | -0.25 | [-0.41, -0.12] | Partial Mediation |
The indirect effect of job stress on job performance through mental health management is significant since the 95% confidence interval excludes zero.
This indicates partial mediation job stress affects job performance both directly and indirectly via mental health management (H4 supported) (Kaur, 2024). These results align with prior Malaysian and international findings that identify coping mechanisms and emotional regulation as crucial mediators between stress and performance (Hatta & Abdullah, 2020; Zhang, 2024).
5.7 Model Fit (SEM Results)
| Fit Index | Value | Recommended Threshold | Interpretation |
| χ²/df | 2.15 | <3.00 | Acceptable |
| CFI | 0.94 | ≥0.90 | Good fit |
| TLI | 0.92 | ≥0.90 | Good fit |
| RMSEA | 0.061 | ≤0.08 | Acceptable |
| SRMR | 0.048 | ≤0.08 | Acceptable |
The overall model fit indices confirm strong structural validity, suggesting the theoretical model is statistically supported (Latif et al., 2022).
5.8 Discussion of Findings
5.8.1 Job Stress and Job Performance (H1)
Results are corroborated by prior studies showing that increased job stress essentially reduces the performance of teachers in agreement with the findings of Noordin et al. (2024) and Amer Taufek Abd Wahab et al. (2023). Workload, administration and student management stresses result in exhaustion and decreased performance. Nevertheless, the moderate-to-high level of performance demonstrates the intrinsic motivation and resilience of the teachers which are stated by Pau et al. (2022).
5.8.2 Job Stress and Mental Health Management (H2)
Job stress adversely impacted the faculty with regard to their management of mental health, which is consistent with the results of Zarin et al. (2022) and Hatta and Abdullah (2020). Stressed teachers tend to burnout, feel emotionally exhausted and have less capacity to be able to cope. This highlights the significance of mental health interventions in school systems including mindfulness and resilience training programs (Asmatullah et al., 2024).
5.8.3 Mental Health Management and Job Performance (H3)
The assumption that teachers with an emotional balance are effective is confirmed by a strong positive correlation between management of mental health and job performance. Educators employing adaptive coping (e.g., problem-focused strategies, emotional regulation) are motivated and productive, which is congruent with Zhang (2024) and Asmatullah et al. (2024).
5.8.4 Mediation Role of Mental Health Management (H4)
The analysis of mediation supports the fact that the problem of mental health management mediates the relationship between the stress and performance partially.
This implies that though stress has a direct negative effect on performance, stressful effects can be countered through good management of mental health. It confirms the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, as well as, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. When taught that stress is not something to be afraid of, educators will be able to remain engaged, be more productive, and change stress into motivation instead of distress (Sakirun and Dousin, 2022).
5.9 Theoretical Implications
This research supports the Job Demands- Resources (JD-R) model since it affirms that mental health management is another important individual resource that counters the adverse impacts of job stress in relation to performance. It also has been a continuation of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) stress and coping transactional Model, which demonstrates that the effective coping mechanisms change stress into manageable challenges against performance stoppers. Moreover, the research can offer research on Malay educational psychology with more localized empirical data of the mediation of mental health in the context of secondary education; a scenario that has been at times neglected in stress research on the globe (Kaur, 2022). It, therefore, enhances the theoretical knowledge on the dynamics of stress-coping-performance in professional teaching classroom (Hassan, 2019).
5.10 Practical Implications
The results have a number of practical implications on the Malaysia education system. To ensure steady emotions by the teachers, schools should initiate organized stress management training sessions and counseling centers so that teachers can have ready access to them. The indicators of teacher well-being should be incorporated in the assessment and growth structures in policymakers with special focus on the Ministry of Education to underpin comprehensive performance monitoring. Teachers are also advised to use proactive coping practices that include mindfulness, social support, and good time management. Institutionalizing mental health assistance and advancing personal coping programs can help educational institutions to minimize burnout, increase classroom results and support a sustainable and emotionally well-teaching force in the country.