ED477726 2002-12-00 Understanding

and Preventing Teacher Burnout. ERIC

Digest.

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Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout. ERIC Digest............ 1

THE NATURE OF THE STRESS RESPONSE............................ 2

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BURNOUT CONSTRUCT.................... 2

PREVENTION OF BURNOUT................................................3

PRIMARY PREVENTION OF TEACHER BURNOUT.................... 4

SECONDARY PREVENTION OF TEACHER BURNOUT............... 4

TERTIARY PREVENTION--AMELIORATING BURNOUT

SYMPTOMS............................................................... 5

SUMMARY....................................................................... 5

REFERENCES.................................................................. 6

ERIC Identifier: ED477726

Publication Date: 2002-12-00

Author: Wood, Teri - McCarthy, Chris

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education Washington DC.

Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout.

ERIC Digest.

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Many teachers find the demands of being a professional educator in today's schools

difficult and at times stressful. When work stress results in teacher burnout, it can have

serious consequences for the health and happiness of teachers, and also the students,

professionals, and families they interact with on a daily basis.

THE NATURE OF THE STRESS RESPONSE

When a potentially threatening event is encountered, a reflexive, cognitive balancing act

ensues, weighing the perceived demands of the event against one's perceived ability to

deal with them (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Events perceived as potential threats trigger

the stress response, a series of physiological and psychological changes that occur

when coping capacities are seriously challenged. The most typical trigger to the stress

response is the perception that ones' coping resources are inadequate for handling life

demands. According to current models of stress, we are constantly taking the measure

of the daily demands we experience in life and comparing this to the resources we

possess for dealing with them. If our resources appear equal to the demands, we view

them as mere challenges. If, however, demands are viewed as exceeding our

resources, they become stressors and trigger the stress response.

Accordingly, teacher stress may be seen as the perception of an imbalance between

demands at school and the resources teachers have for coping with them (Esteve,

2000; Troman & Woods, 2001). Symptoms of stress in teachers can include anxiety and

frustration, impaired performance, and ruptured interpersonal relationships at work and

home (Kyriacou, 2001). Researchers (Lecompte & Dworkin, 1991; Farber, 1998;

Troman & Woods, 2001) note that teachers who experience stress over long periods of

time may experience what is known as burnout.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE BURNOUT

CONSTRUCT

Matheny, Gfroerer, and Harris (2000) noted that earlier research into the phenomenon

described burnout as a loss of idealism and enthusiasm for work. Freudenberger

(1974), a psychiatrist, is largely credited with first using the term. Maslach and Jackson

refined the meaning and measurement of the burnout construct in the 1980s (Maslach &

Jackson, 1981; Maslach & Schaufeli, 1993) to include three sub-domains: (1)

depersonalization, in which one distances oneself from others and views others

impersonally; (2) reduced personal accomplishment, in which one devalues one's work

with others; and (3) emotional exhaustion, in which one feels emptied of personal

emotional resources and becomes highly vulnerable to stressors. In particular,

depersonalization may be expressed through poor attitudes towards students and the

work environment.

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Teachers may be at greater risk for depersonalization because their daily work life often

includes large doses of isolation from their professional peers. While teachers do

interact with others on a regular basis throughout the workday, the majority of such

interactions are with students, and not with other teachers or professional staff

members who might better understand the demands teachers face. Factors such as the

physical layout of most campuses, with teachers working alone in their classrooms, and

scheduling constraints that make finding time to meet with peers virtually impossible,

can cause teachers to feel disconnected (Bennett & LeCompte, 1990). This

depersonalization may act as a protective mechanism, as evidenced by the descriptions

of "worn-out" teachers, whose cynical views towards students and teaching allowed

them to continue to remain in the field, even in a diminished capacity (Farber, 1998).

While depersonalization may act as some protection for teachers, it also may

encourage isolation, strengthening the risk for burnout.

An important finding from early studies was that teachers at risk for burnout came to see

their work as futile and inconsistent with the ideals or goals they had set as beginning

teachers (Bullough & Baughman, 1997). Other early studies cited role conflict and role

ambiguity as significantly related to burnout (Dworkin, 1986). Role conflict occurs when

a teacher is faced with conflicting expectations of the job. For example, role conflict may

arise from discrepancies between ideals of what it means to be a good teacher. Role

ambiguity relates more to a sense of confusion about one's goals as a teacher including

a sense of uncertainty about the responsibilities related to teaching.

LeCompte and Dworkin (1991) developed a more extensive description of burnout as

an extreme type of role-specific alienation with a focus on feelings of meaninglessness,

especially as this applies to one's ability to successfully reach students, a finding also

supported by Farber (1998). LeCompte and Dworkin (1991) identified powerlessness in

defining professional roles as being instrumental in creating stress. Additionally, a sense

of both physical and mental exhaustion exacerbated by the belief that expectations for

teachers are constantly in flux, or in conflict with previously held beliefs, has been cited

by numerous researchers as influencing teacher burnout (Bullough & Baughmann,

1997; Brown & Ralph, 1998; Hinton & Rotheiler, 1998; Esteve, 2000; Troman & Woods,

2001).

PREVENTION OF BURNOUT

Albee (2000), one of the pioneers of prevention research, points out that, "It is accepted

public health doctrine that no disease or disorder has ever been treated out of

existence" (p. 847). It is far better if the roots of teacher burnout are identified and

eliminated before the syndrome develops, rather than treating it after it has already

occurred. Across the various medical professions, a distinction has been made between

three levels of prevention interventions: (a) Primary prevention, where the goal is to

reduce the incidence of new cases of a disorder, (b) secondary prevention, where the

goal is early identification and treatment of symptoms before they turn into a full-blown

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ED477726 2002-12-00 Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout. ERIC Digest. Page 3 of 8
disorder, and (c) tertiary prevention, where persons who have recently suffered a

disorder receive some type of intervention to prevent relapse (Conyne, 1991). Such

preventative interventions may either be done at the organizational level, with changes

in the school environment, or at the individual level, in which the goal is to strengthen

teachers' resources for resisting stress.

PRIMARY PREVENTION OF TEACHER

BURNOUT

Organizational practices that prevent teacher burnout are generally those that allow

teachers some control over their daily challenges. At the individual level, self-efficacy

and the ability to maintain perspective with regard to daily events have been described

as "anxiety-buffers" (Greenberg, 1999). At the institutional level, other factors may help

mitigate teacher stress. Chris Kyriacou (2001), who draws from an Education Service

Advisory Committee report (1998), offers the following advice for schools:

* Consult with teachers on matters, such as curriculum development or instructional

planning, which directly impact their classrooms.

* Provide adequate resources and facilities to support teachers in instructional practice.

* Provide clear job descriptions and expectations in an effort to address role ambiguity

and conflict.

* Establish and maintain open lines of communication between teachers and

administrators to provide administrative support and performance feedback that may act

as a buffer against stress.

* Allow for and encourage professional development activities such as mentoring and

networking, which may engender a sense of accomplishment and a more fully

developed professional identity for teachers.

SECONDARY PREVENTION OF TEACHER

BURNOUT

Efforts at secondary prevention focus primarily on early detection of problems before

they emerge as full-blown disorders. Symptoms of teacher stress as contributing to

burnout may take many forms (Brown & Ralph, 1998). Studies by several researchers

(c.f., Brown & Ralph, 1998; Hinton & Rotheiler, 1998; Kyriacou, 2001; Troman & Woods,

2001), report the following as early symptoms of teacher stress and burnout:

* Feeling like not going to work or actually missing days

* Having difficulty in concentrating on tasks

* Feeling overwhelmed by the workload and having a related sense of inadequacy to

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the tasks given to them

* Withdrawing from colleagues or engaging in conflictual relationships with co-workers

* Having a general feeling of irritation regarding school

* Experiencing insomnia, digestive disorders, headaches, and heart palpitations

* Incapacitation and an inability to function professionally in severe instances

TERTIARY PREVENTION--AMELIORATING

BURNOUT SYMPTOMS

Once teacher burnout has occurred, a decision must be made as to whether the teacher

can or is willing to continue their work. Troman and Woods (2001) acknowledge that a

series of stressful events or a single major event may lead teachers to make what they

term 'pivotal decisions.' Although teachers go through many such events over the

course of a career, the teachers interviewed by Troman and Woods rarely viewed

decisions made in response to high levels of stress as transformative in the positive

sense. Personal factors also figure into a teacher's decision to stay in a school, with the

current labor market, personal financial and family obligations, and years in the field all

being instrumental in the decision making process. In hard economic times, teachers

may stay with the relatively stable profession of teaching due to a lack of outside

possibilities for a career change. The promise of retirement benefits that increase with

added years of service is a draw to teachers who have already accumulated more than

a few years of service.

In looking at teachers and stress, Troman and Woods (2001) used interviews and

observational data collected from teachers teaching at The Gladstone Primary School

and from teachers who had left the school in the aftermath of Gladstone being

designated as poorly performing during an accreditation inspection. Interviews were

analyzed using theme analysis and the constant comparative method. Data gathered

suggests that teachers generally fall into three categories when reacting to stress and

burnout. Some teachers simply end their careers as professional educators. Others

seek relief from stress by "downshifting:" taking a less prestigious or demanding role,

redefining their job as a part time instructor, or by having previously held duties

assigned to other teachers. Some teachers choose to reframe their sense of identity as

educators; for these teachers, this may involve developing outside interests, placing

more emphasis on family and friends or relocating to a more favorable school

environment.

SUMMARY

Burnout results from the chronic perception that one is unable to cope with daily life

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demands. Given that teachers must face a classroom full of students every day,

negotiate potentially stressful interactions with parents, administrators, counselors, and

other teachers, contend with relatively low pay and shrinking school budgets, and

ensure students meet increasingly strict standards of accountability, it is no wonder

many experience a form of burnout at some point in their careers. Efforts at primary

prevention, in which teachers' jobs are modified to give them more control over their

environment and more resources for coping with the demands of being an educator, are

preferable over secondary or tertiary interventions that occur after burnout symptoms

have surfaced. However, research reviewed here indicates each type of prevention can

be useful in helping teachers contend with an occupation that puts them at risk for

burnout.

REFERENCES

References identified with an EJ or ED number have been abstracted and are in the

ERIC database.

Albee, G. W. (2000). Commentary on prevention and counseling psychology. The

Counseling Psychologist, 28, 845-853. EJ 622 673

Bennett, K. P. & LeCompte, M. D. (1990). The Way Schools Work: A Sociological

Analysis of Education. New York: Longman. ED 324 740

Brown, M. & Ralph, S. (1998). The identification of stress in teachers. In J. Dunham &

V. Varma (Eds.) Stress in Teachers: Past, Present and Future. (pp. 37-56) London:

Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Bullough, Jr., R. V., & Baughman, K. (1997). "First Year Teacher" Eight Years Later: An

inquiry into teacher development. New York: Teachers College Press.

Conyne, R. K. (1991). Gains in primary prevention: Implications for the counseling

profession. Journal of Counseling and Development, 69, 277-279. EJ 426 849

Dworkin, A. G. (1986). Teacher Burnout in the Public Schools: Structural Causes and

Consequences for Children. New York: State University of New York Press.

Education Service Advisory Committee (1998). Managing work-related stress: a guide

for managers and teachers in the schools. In Kyriacou, C. (2001). Teacher stress:

directions for future research. Educational Review, 53(1), 27-35.

Esteve, J. M. (2000). The transformation of the teachers' role at the end of the twentieth

century: new challenges for the future. Educational Review, 52(2), pp. 197-207. EJ 609

284

Farber, B. A. (1998). Tailoring treatment strategies for different types of burnout. Paper

presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, 106th,

San Francisco California, August 14-18. ED 424 517

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Page 6 of 8 ED477726 2002-12-00 Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout. ERIC Digest.
Freudenberger, H. J. (1974). Staff burnout. Journal of Social Issues, 30(1), 159-165.

Greenberg, J. S. (1999). Comprehensive stress management (6th ed.). Boston:

McGraw-Hill.

Hinton, J. W. & Rotheiler, E. (1998). The psychophysiology of stress in teachers, in J.

Dunham, & V. Varma (eds.) Stress in Teachers: Past, Present and Future. (pp. 95-119)

London: Whurr Publishers Ltd.

Kyriacou, C. (2001). Teacher stress: directions for future research. Educational Review,

53(1), pp. 28-35. EJ 622 519

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Coping and adaptation. In W. D. Gentry (Ed.),

The handbook of behavioral medicine (pp. 282-325). New York: Guilford.

LeCompte, M. D., & Dworkin, A. G. (1991). Giving Up on School: Student Dropouts and

Teacher Burnouts. Newbury Park, California: Corwin Press. ED 340 809

Maslach, C. & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout.

Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2, 99-113.

Maslach, C. & Schaufeli, W. B. (1993). Historical and conceptual development of

burnout. In C. Maslach, W. B. Schaufeli, & T. Marek (Eds.), Professional burnout:

Recent developments in theory and research (pp. 1-16). Washington, DC: Taylor &

Francis.

Matheny, K. B., Gfroerer, C. A., & Harris, K. (2000). Work stress, burnout, and coping at

the turn of the century: An Adlerian perspective. Journal of Individual Psychology, 56(1),

74-87.

Troman, G. & Woods, P. (2001). Primary Teachers' Stress. New York:

Routledge/Falmer.

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This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U. S.

Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under

contract number ED-99-CO-0007. The content of this publication does not necessarily

reflect the views of or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of

trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U. S.

Government.

Title: Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout. ERIC Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

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ED477726 2002-12-00 Understanding and Preventing Teacher Burnout. ERIC Digest. Page 7 of 8
(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education, American

Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1307 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite

300, Washington, DC 20005-4701. Tel: 202-293-2450; Tel: 800-822-9229 (Toll Free);

Fax: 202-457-8095; e-mail: query@aacte.org; Web site: http://www.ericsp.org.

Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Stress Management, Teacher Burnout,

Teacher Responsibility, Teaching Conditions

Identifiers: ERIC Digests, Primary Prevention

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