Abstract
Tutor performance is central to curriculum implementation, learner engagement, competency development, and institutional effectiveness within Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions. However, tutors operating within Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands counties encounter demanding institutional and occupational conditions that may expose them to substantial mental stress. This study examined the influence of mental stress on tutor performance in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions in Mandera, Samburu, Marsabit, Tana River, and Wajir counties, Kenya. The study was underpinned by the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model and adopted a positivist research philosophy and descriptive cross-sectional research design. The target population comprised 256 tutors from 10 Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions, and the study adopted a census approach. A questionnaire containing closed- and open-ended items was used to collect primary data, yielding 232 valid responses and a response rate of 90.63%. Mental Stress had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.846, while Tutor Performance had 0.874. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and bivariate linear regression at a 5% significance level. Mental Stress recorded an overall mean of 3.61 (SD = 0.537), indicating that tutors frequently experienced psychological strain associated with their occupational responsibilities. Pearson correlation established a significant negative relationship between Mental Stress and Tutor Performance (r = −.448, p < .001). Regression analysis further established that Mental Stress explained 20.1% of the variation in Tutor Performance (R² = .201) and exerted a significant negative effect on performance (B = −.354, β = −.448, t = −5.812, p < .001). The study concluded that psychological strain, difficulties maintaining positive work attitudes, self-doubt, cognitive demands, workload pressure, and mental exhaustion significantly undermine tutor performance. It recommended equitable workload allocation, counseling and psychosocial support, professional development, mentorship, employee wellness programmes, and supportive institutional management systems.