Objective To have knowledge about the basic status of occupational stress and teaching efficacy among primary school teachers in rural ethnic areas and to probe into the relationships between occupational stress and teaching efficacy.Method 498 primary school teachers in rural areas of dehong district of Yunnan province were investigated with stress questionnaire for primary and secondary school teachers and teaching efficacy scale for teachers.Results Scores on stress concerning social and school evaluation

professional development

and problems and behaviors of students for male teachers of rural primary schools in ethnic areas were significantly higher than female teachers（p<0.05）;occupational stress increased with age and teaching efficacy showed a tendency of "increasing

stabilizing and declining" as age increased;and differences in scores on occupational stress and teaching efficacy among primary school teachers with different teaching age were statistically significant（p<0.05）.Occupational stress was remarkably correlated with teaching efficacy（r=-0.100～-0.392

p<0.05）;stress concerning social and school evaluation

problems and behaviors of students

and professional development was a negative predictor of general teaching efficacy;stress concerning professional development and workload was a significant predictor of individual teaching efficacy.Conclusion There is a significant difference in occupational stress among primary school teachers with different sex.Age and teaching age of teachers have a major impact on their occupational stress and teaching efficacy

and the occupational stress of teachers is a significant predictor of their teaching efficacy.