Teachers' Interpersonal Self-Efficacy: Evaluation and predictive capacity of teacher burnout

Introduction. This study analyzed the predictive capacity and incremental validity of teachers' interpersonal self-efficacy on their levels of burnout. First, it presents the validation process of a Spanish adaptation of the Teacher Interpersonal Self-Efficacy Scale -TISES- (Browers & Tomic, 1999, 2001). Second, the predictive capacity of interpersonal self-efficacy on teacher burnout is analyzed. Method. The data came to 103 teachers from different levels of the Spanish educational system (55 women, 48 men, age range: 24-56). An adaptation of the TISES, a Spanish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Teachers -MBI-ES-, and a questionnaire developed ad-hoc for various Sociopersonal teacher variables (gender, years of teaching experience and educational level) were applied. The factorial validity of the Spanish adaptation of TISES was assessed with a confirmatory factor analysis -CFA-, while its predictive and incremental validity was assessed through various hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results. CFA confirms the TISES three oblique factors original structure: SE in Classroom Management, SE in Eliciting Support from Colleagues, and SE in Eliciting Support from Principals. All the subscales present satisfactory levels of internal consistency and association levels similar to those shown by the original version of the instrument. The three self-efficacy subscales present significant levels of association with the burnout dimensions, and they are shown to be significant predictors of burnout, especially the dimension of SE in Classroom Management. The variables considered in the study explain a high percentage of variance in the different burnout dimensions (42.6% of Emotional Exhaustion, 45.3% of Depersonalization and 48.8% of Personal Accomplishment), showing the incremental validity of interpersonal self-efficacy with regard to the teachers' sociopersonal variables considered. Discussion and Conclusion. The study confirms the relationship of teachers' interpersonal self-efficacy and burnout, highlighting the appropriateness and usefulness of adapting the TISES. Results are discussed, emphasizing the importance of promoting the development of teachers' self-efficacy as a preventive factor of burnout.