Are Banzhurens (Homeroom Teachers) More Prone to Burnout in China? The Moderation Effect of School Culture

Teacher burnout is a universal educational issue and in urgent need to be addressed globally. Banzhurens (homeroom teachers), who hold a typical educational position in the Chinese schooling system, can shed some new light on burnout research, where the role of school culture is emphasized greatly. This study surveyed 417 teachers participating in professional courses at a normal university in Beijing, revealing the relationship between whether a Banzhuren and burnout as well as the moderation effect of school culture. The results demonstrate the following: (1) Banzhurens do not experience higher burnout than non-Banzhurens, as the opposite effects of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment cancel each other out; (2) Banzhurens experience higher emotional exhaustion than non-Banzhurens; (3) Banzhurens experience lower reduced personal accomplishment than non-Banzhurens; (4) clan culture strengthens the positive relationship between whether a Banzhuren and emotional exhaustion when clan culture is higher (Banzhurens' emotional exhaustion reduces less than non-Banzhurens' does as clan culture gets higher); and (5) adhocracy culture strengthens the positive relationship between whether a Banzhuren and emotional exhaustion when adhocracy culture is higher (Banzhurens' emotional exhaustion reduces less than non-Banzhurens' does as adhocracy culture gets higher).