GENDER GAP IN BURNOUT SYNDROME AMONG CZECH TEACHERS

Teaching is a feminized profession in most countries. In seeking ways to increase gender balance in the teaching professions, different susceptibility to the burnout syndrome among men and women is also taken into consideration. Previous studies do not provide consistent results; however, the predominant conclusion is that female teachers suffer from burnout syndrome more often than male teachers. A recent study at Czech elementary schools (n=2,394) arrived at a different conclusion - the overall rate of burnout does not differ in men and women, but women show more frequently physical burnout while men are more prone to emotional burnout. The study verified the impact of occupational characteristics (length of the teaching practice and the educational level) and personal characteristics (marital status, number of children and household income). A higher prevalence of burnout was found among female teachers living without a partner, in low-income households and with a medium length of practice.