The Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute

Teacher Stress Study

Teacher Stress Study

A research study on teaching and the realities of the classroom

Share your perspective and help researchers better understand the day-to-day challenges teachers face.

Earn up to $225 for Participating

Click Here to Join

Duration

  • Participate for five consecutive school days

Commitment

  • Go about your normal teaching day
  • Complete a 30 minute online survey after school each day

Optional

  • Record and submit 1 classroom audio recording per day (~10 minutes to upload)

Compensation

  • Earn up to $225 for participation

About the Teacher Stress Study

Teaching is a rewarding profession, but it also comes with many daily challenges. Teachers regularly navigate demanding moments in the classroom, from managing classroom dynamics to responding to unexpected situations during instruction.

While teacher stress is widely discussed, researchers still know relatively little about how teachers experience and respond to these moments as they happen in real classrooms.

The Teacher Stress Study aims to better understand what teachers encounter during the school day and how they navigate challenging situations in the classroom. By collecting brief daily reflections—and, when possible, optional classroom audio recordings—the study captures a closer look at teaching as it unfolds throughout the week.

What we learn from this research may help educators and researchers better understand how teachers manage the demands of the classroom and how teachers can be more effectively supported throughout their careers.

Participation in this study is currently open to fellows in the Fellowship Using the Science of Engagement (FUSE) program.

Compensation

Activity

Payment

Daily Surveys (5 total)

$25 Each

Optional Recordings (5 Total)

$20 Each

Maximum total compensation: $125 from surveys + $100 from audio recordings = $225

Participants who complete only part of the study will still be paid for the activities they have completed.

What Participation Looks Like

  • Step 1 — Sign Up
    Complete our short interest form. Our Lab Manager, Natassia Merrill, will contact you to schedule your study week.
  • Step 2 — Intake Survey
    Before the study begins, you will complete a 15-minute intake survey explaining the study procedures and consent.
  • Step 3 — Study Week
    For five consecutive school days, go about your normal teaching day and:
    – Complete one 30-minute survey after each school day.
    – Optionally upload one audio recording of classroom instruction.
  • Step 4 — Receive Payment
    – Payment will be sent via Venmo, Apple Pay, or Zelle.
    – A mailed check can be arranged if needed.
    – You may also share feedback about your experience.

Interested in Participating?

If you are a FUSE fellow, sign up here!

Join the Teacher Stress Study

Why your Participation Matters

Your experiences as a teacher matter.

Research on teaching is strongest when it reflects teachers’ real experiences in the classroom. This study aims to better understand how teachers experience stress during the school day and how those moments shape classroom experiences. By participating, you will contribute to research that may help improve how teachers are supported throughout their careers.

Many teachers also find that the daily surveys offer a chance to pause and reflect on their classroom experiences during the week.

Participants are compensated for their time and can earn up to $225

Frequently Asked Questions

Participants will still receive payment for any surveys or recordings they successfully completed.

Unexpected events sometimes occur during the school year. If something arises, simply let us know and we can work with you to adjust the study schedule.

The daily surveys contain questions about your experiences during the school day. This includes questions about your general feelings, stress levels, challenging moments, and classroom experiences that day.

  • Protecting the privacy of teachers and students is a top priority for this study.
    • Survey responses are de-identified before analysis, meaning your name is removed from the data.
    • Study results are reported only in summary form, so individual teachers, students, or schools will never be identified.
    • Only authorized members of the research team can access identifiable information.
    • All data are stored on secure university servers.
  • This study follows privacy and research protection standards required by:
    • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
    • Federal regulations for human subjects research
    • NSF data security requirements
    • University of Texas at Austin institutional policies

Audio recordings help researchers understand what is happening in the classroom in real time and how teachers respond to stressful moments during instruction. This information provides important context that surveys alone cannot capture, making the recordings especially valuable to the study.

At the same time, we recognize that recording classroom audio may not work for everyone due to time, technology, or personal comfort. For that reason, recordings are optional.

Teachers who choose to submit recordings receive additional compensation.

No. Recordings are used only used to better understand classroom experiences and stress. They will not be used to evaluate teachers or shared with schools, administrators, or supervisors.

No special equipment is required. Many teachers use a phone, tablet, or computer to record audio. If you choose to submit recordings, our team will provide simple instructions with several recording options so you can choose the method that works best for you.

If you have questions about the study, please contact:
Natassia Merrill, Lab Manager
natassia.merrill@austin.utexas.edu

Meet The Team

Dr. David Yeager

Principal Investigator


Associate Professor
The University of Texas, at Austin

    Dr. Jeremy Jamieson

    Co – Principal Investigator


    Professor of Psychology & Department Chair
    University of Rochester

      Dr. Cameron Hecht

      Assistant Professor of Psychology
      University of Rochester

        Dr. Matt Giani

        Co – Principal Investigator

        Research Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts
        Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy

          Project Contributors

          • Natassia Merrill / Research Associate
          • Shannon Green / TxBSPI Assistant Director
          • Shuqi Zhang – Research Design Manager
          • Rebecca Boylan / Senior Data Analyst
          • Michaela Jones / Post Bacc
          • Jenny Chin / PhD Student

          The project is conducted through the Texas Behavioral Science and Policy Institute (TXBSPI) at The University of Texas at Austin.

          This research is supported by the National Science Foundation through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (NOYCE) under grant number 2243530, which funds initiatives aimed at strengthening the teacher workforce and improving teacher preparation and retention.

          Interested in Participating?

          If you are a FUSE fellow, sign up here!

          Join the Teacher Stress Study