教育実習期間中のストレス認知的評価と唾液中ステロイドホルモンの変化

抄録

  The present study examined changes in stress cognitive appraisal and salivary cortisol level during the student teaching in kindergartens. Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM) Japanese version based on the cognitive appraisal theory was employed to investigate their psychological states, and salivary cortisol level was measured as a physiological index. Participants were 29 female junior college students who had been training for almost a year to obtain kindergarten teachers’ certificates. They received an explanation of the protocol of the study which included the way of saliva sampling by them about three weeks before student teaching. It was conducted on the designated 4 days (two weeks before student teaching: Day 1; the first week of student teaching: Day 2; the second week of student teaching: Day 3; the first week after student teaching was done: Day 4). They took their saliva samples before going to bed. The replies to SAM were done before going to bed except Day 4. As a result, “Threat” and “Control-Self” score of SAM significantly distinguished between Day 1 and Day 3, therefore it was revealed that the participants on Day 1 would be on the most stressful situation psychologically. On the other hand, since the cortisol level showed a significant difference between Day 1 and Day 2, it was suggested that the participants on Day 2 were in the most stressful situation physiologically. The discrepancy between psychological and physiological responses was an issue in the future.