The Relationship between Demographics, Self Efficacy, and Burnout among Teachers

Problem Statement: Teacher burnout could be a problem with potentially serious consequences for the teaching careers of the teachers concerned as well as for the learning outcomes of their students. The symptoms of burnout would be reduced in environments in which teachers experience professional growth, self-efficacy, and perceived success in their career progression. In recent years, an increasing number of burnout researchers have been utilising the self-efficacy theory in their studies. Accordingly, intervention efforts should centre on providing opportunities for individual development, perhaps through the enhancement of efficacy beliefs. Purpose of the study: This study assessed the demographics, three components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment), and teacher self-efficacy. Methods: The participants were 179 primary and 622 subject teachers in Izmir, Turkey. An anonymous self-report questionnaire which is comprised of two scales (the adapted Turkish version of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory), and demographic background information served as the research tools in this study. Data processing was carried out using SPSS-13.0 and LISREL software, and factor analysis, reliability test, frequency check, correlation coefficient, analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) and multiple regressions were used while analysing the data. Findings: Results showed that the combined measures of burnout were significantly related to teaching experience, type of school (public or private), and class size. Additionally, the perceived sense of self-efficacy was inversely correlated with perceived burnout: the lower the sense of self-efficacy, the higher the perceived burnout. The three efficacy beliefs were also the significant predictors of personal accomplishment. Efficacy for student engagement was the only variable that contributed statistically significantly to emotional exhaustion. The salience of efficacy for student engagement was noted as the sole major contributor in predicting all three burnout components. Conclusions: The findings generally supported the current research on the roles of teacher background variables and self-efficacy in burnout. It may also have practical implications for preparing teachers to avoid or reduce burnout.