Burnout in teachers: shattered dreams of impeccable professional performance

Person-organization fit and job burnout of researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Heterogeneity in eleven countries

To manage the negative impact of job burnout for the researchers, especially during COVID-19 pandemic, is not easy. Thus, it is essential for educational institutions to provide them with the support they need to improve the person-organization (P-O) fit. Drawing upon the data from the Nature's Global Survey initiated in 2021, this paper analyzed 2,424 effective samples from eleven countries in the world to investigate how P-O fit impacts researchers' job burnout in different countries and their career stages during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show that both organizational support and P-O fit have significantly assisted researchers in all career stages to reduce job burnout. Moreover, P-O fit has a greater inhibitory effect on job burnout than organizational support. However, when resources are relatively scarce in some developing countries, it is more important to provide organizational support for researchers. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of organizational support and reduce researchers' job burnout, those aspects which are less fit but helpful should be increased appropriately. Moreover, it implies that it would be significant to emphasize the differentiated and career-stage-sensitive resources and support to researchers in different countries in the post-pandemic era to improve researchers' well-being and organizational performance.

Job demands, job resources and postdoctoral job satisfaction: An empirical study based on the data from 2020 Nature global postdoctoral survey

Postdocs encounter numerous hurdles in terms of their professional survival and academic development, as a result of institutional reform and the prevailing academic environment. These challenges significantly impact their job satisfaction, which in turn plays a crucial role in shaping their scientific research career trajectory. To facilitate the advancement of relevant systems and augment the job satisfaction of postdocs, this study employs the 2020 Nature Global Postdoctoral Survey data to conduct a comprehensive analysis. Utilizing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, the impact of job characteristic elements on postdoctoral job satisfaction was examined within the theoretical framework of the Job Requirements-Resources (JD-R) model, as well as the mechanisms by which job characteristic elements impact postdoctoral job satisfaction. It was found that job demands and job resources negatively and positively predicted postdoctoral job satisfaction, respectively, with job burnout and job engagement playing a partial mediating role. Job demands can drive postdocs to develop negative coping psychology and limit the motivating effect of job resources on job engagement; job resources can act as a buffer to reduce the probability of postdocs experiencing job burnout as a result of job demands. The aforementioned findings generally support the applicability of the JD-R model to postdocs, theoretically revealing the intrinsic psychological mechanisms by which job characteristics influence postdoctoral job satisfaction and providing theoretical supplements and practical references for postdoctoral training and management.

An Examination of the Relationships between Psychological Resilience, Organizational Ostracism, and Burnout in K-12 Teachers through Structural Equation Modelling

Psychological resilience, burnout, and ostracism are significant variables that may affect teachers' performance and well-being. While psychological resilience is the ability of individuals to cope with the challenges of life/work and could support teachers in performing their profession, burnout (i.e., high levels of emotional exhaustion and desensitization) and ostracism (i.e., being ignored by others in the workplace) could lead to serious negative outcomes for both teachers and the educational system. Despite their significance, studies addressing the relationships between these variables are rare. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between teachers' psychological resilience, burnout, and organizational ostracism. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothetical relationships between these variables. The participants were selected using a simple random sampling method among K-12 teachers working in Elazig, Turkey. The data were collected using Psychological Resilience Scale-Short Form, Organizational Ostracism Scale, and Burnout Syndrome Inventory-Short Form. Data obtained from 309 K-12 teachers were analyzed using path analysis. The findings showed that teachers' psychological resilience was quite low, whilst they experienced high levels of burnout and organizational ostracism. The results also showed a negative relationship between their psychological resilience and organizational ostracism and burnout while determining a positive relationship between ostracism and burnout. Psychological resilience was determined to have a moderating role in the relationship between organizational ostracism and burnout. Implications were suggested for both research and practice.

Personality traits, role ambiguity, and relational competence as predictors for teacher subjective wellbeing

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly reshaped the way teaching activities are carried out, thus intensifying the stress felt by teachers. The teacher-student relationship has also changed under the influence of social constraints. Together, these have affected teachers' work efficiency and redefined their connection with the school. The present study aims to examine the extent to which personality traits, role ambiguity, and relational competence predict teacher subjective wellbeing. The study sample consisted of 105 university teachers. Three hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted separately for each of the three criterion variables used in this research: teaching efficacy, school connectedness, and teacher subjective wellbeing. The results indicated that the personality traits emotionality, extraversion, and conscientiousness are significant predictors for all three variables, while honesty-humility, agreeableness, and openness to experience are not predictors for any of the variables. However, in the third step of the regression analysis, conscientiousness was found to lose its predictive quality for the variables school connectedness and teacher subjective wellbeing, its place being taken by emotionality. Both role ambiguity and relational competence are significant predictors for teaching efficacy, for school connectedness, and for teacher subjective wellbeing. Based on these results, universities can design some measures to reduce role ambiguity of teachers and can identify areas of training needed to increase their relational competence, while simultaneously reducing the costs associated with wellbeing and productivity problems. Several training modules and courses are proposed to be designed and included in the curriculum of initial and in-service teacher training programs, in order to contribute to increasing teachers' performance.

Teacher burnout and turnover intention in higher education: The mediating role of job satisfaction and the moderating role of proactive personality

Introduction

Teacher burnout and frequent turnover negatively affect stability and productivity in the context of higher education. Despite the fact that the relationship between burnout and turnover intention has been thoroughly studied, the role of other factors in this relationship should be evaluated in order to better clarify underlying mechanisms, particularly in the context of higher education.

Methods

In this study, we first aim to bridge a research gap by utilizing job satisfaction as a mediating variable for the relationship between burnout and turnover intention. Moreover, we uniquely evaluate the role of proactive personality as a moderating variable, first in terms of the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction, and then for the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention. Based on 296 valid questionnaires collected from university faculty members in China, proposed hypotheses were evaluated empirically.

Results

The results demonstrate that, as expected, burnout has a significant and positive impact on turnover intention, and job satisfaction has significantly negative impact on turnover intention, with job satisfaction partially mediating the relationship between burnout and turnover intention. Moreover, proactive personality moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention, with this relationship being stronger for individuals with high proactive personality as compared to low proactive personality.

Discussion

These findings provide a better understanding of the relationship between burnout and turnover intention of university instructors. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and recommendations for further research are provided.

Teachers Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Goal Conflicts Affect Teaching Motivation Mediated by Basic Need Satisfaction

Teaching is a highly demanding profession that requires handling multiple and potentially contradictory goals. Therefore, it is likely that teachers experience conflict between work-related goals on a daily basis. Intraindividual goal conflict may occur when individuals pursue multiple goals drawing on the same limited resources (resource-based goal conflict), or when two or more goals are incompatible in terms of goal attainment strategy or desired end states (inherent goal conflict). Because goal conflict is typically associated with negative effects such as attenuated motivation and wellbeing, teacher goal conflict may jeopardize teaching motivation. This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of in-service teachers' (N = 302) goal conflicts on their autonomous (intrinsic and identified regulation) and controlled (introjected and extrinsic regulation) teaching motivation and tested the satisfaction of teachers' basic need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as mediators. In line with our hypotheses, results from structural equation modeling showed that frequently experiencing resource-based goal conflict leads to a lower satisfaction of the basic need for autonomy, which, however, was unrelated to teaching motivation. In contrast, frequently experiencing inherent goal conflict attenuates the satisfaction of the basic need for competence, which, in turn, positively predicted autonomous teaching motivation and negatively predicted extrinsic regulation. As expected, relatedness was not associated with the experience of goal conflict. The discussion focuses on differential effects of the two types of goal conflict on teaching motivation and on the relevance to expand research on teachers' intraindividual goal conflicts.

Examining the dimensionality of pre-service teachers' enthusiasm for teaching by combining frameworks of educational science and organizational psychology

The aim of this study was to obtain a holistic understanding of pre-service teachers’ enthusiasm for teaching (a subject) by examining its structure as well as relevant factors that may be related to it in the first phase of teacher education. For this purpose, we considered two strands of research: educational science and organizational psychology. Accordingly, the professional competence model and the job demands and resources model helped to identify factors that are associated with pre-service teachers’ enthusiasm for teaching. Responses of 211 pre-service biology teachers indicated that enthusiasm for teaching can be considered as one-dimensional. Moreover, we found positive relationships between enthusiasm for teaching and academic self-concept, intrinsic career choice motives and occupational commitment. In contrast, we detected negative relations between enthusiasm for teaching and both emotional exhaustion and intention to quit. No significant relations could be found for enthusiasm for teaching and both professional knowledge and extrinsic career choice motives. Our findings highlight the importance of enthusiasm for teaching in the earliest stage of teachers’ careers. Thus, our study points out relevant factors that could help to maintain high enthusiasm and to keep (pre-service) teachers healthy and in the profession.

Followers' unclear demands during the COVID-19 pandemic can undermine leaders' well-being: A moderated mediation model from an entrapment perspective

Although effective leaders are important for reducing employee stress during the COVID-19, limited studies have examined how follower behaviors can influence leader stress and well-being during the COVID-19. This study draws on defeat-entrapment theory to examine how followers' unclear demands during the COVID-19 consequently impact leaders' psychological states and well-being. We conducted a three-wave time-lagged investigation with a sample of 281 leaders in the United Kingdom and found that followers' unclear demands could generate feelings of entrapment in leaders, leading to decreased levels of well-being outcomes in leaders. Importantly, we found that leaders who have higher levels of leadership responsibility during the COVID-19 are likely to feel trapped by followers' unclear demands. They are also likely to face higher levels of feelings of entrapment and impaired well-being compared with leaders who have lower levels of leadership responsibility. We discuss the implications for theories and practices, as well as directions for future research.

Synchronous teaching and asynchronous trauma: Exploring teacher trauma in the wake of Covid-19

Following the onset of COVID-19, major subsections of our global society have shifted and mutated from the status quo of operation, especially in the field of education. A system that served far more social functions than just basic literacy and numeracy instruction, education has shifted out of the school buildings and into living rooms and spare bedrooms across the world. This research investigated the physical and psychological implications of traversing and functioning in this new virtual world that educators found themselves operating in. This study utilized narrative inquiry and survey data in order to gather mixed method data to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of COVID-19 and how educators processed and coped with the transition to distance learning. The findings illuminated narratives of trauma and managing stress in the face of the pandemic. Additional study may focus on replicating this research across multiple research locations.

The narcissism spectrum and its effects on self-selection into the teaching profession and on the effort-reward imbalance

Abstract. Based on the person-environment fit theory and the dynamic self-regulatory model of narcissism, an occupational self-selection into the teaching profession is analysed. This examination consults two comparative groups: student teachers are compared with management students, and practising teachers are compared with business leaders. After a theoretical analysis of the narcissism phenomenon considering the social-personality perspective, the relation between the narcissism spectrum – extreme, healthy and insufficient narcissism – and the effort-reward imbalance is examined. The sample consists of n 958 test persons from Austria. Self-selection tendencies into the teaching profession are mostly confirmed. Teachers show lower levels of extreme, healthy, and higher levels of insufficient narcissism than business leaders. Student teachers show lower levels of healthy and extreme narcissism than management students. Compared to student teachers, practising teachers exhibit higher levels of insufficient narcissism. This difference can be traced back to stressful classroom conditions. Teachers obtain less reward from their work than business leaders. Lower levels of healthy narcissism lead to more overcommitment and a reinforcement of the effort-reward imbalance, and increase the risk of gratification crises in the teaching profession.

Inkongruente Erwartungen an den Vorbereitungsdienst als Prädiktoren emotionaler Erschöpfung

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die wahrgenommene Erfüllung von Erwartungen von Lehramtsanwärterinnen und -anwärtern an den Vorbereitungsdienst. Basierend auf empirischen Befunden aus der Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie wird erwartet, dass nicht-erfüllte Erwartungen an den Vorbereitungsdienst mit einem Anstieg an emotionaler Erschöpfung assoziiert sein könnten. Es wurden 1109 Lehramtsanwärterinnen und -anwärter der Sekundarstufe I zu Beginn des Vorbereitungsdienstes (Erwartungen) und ein Jahr später (erfüllte Erwartungen) mit einer neu entwickelten Skala zu positiven („ Nutzen“) und negativen („ Kosten“) Wahrnehmungen des Vorbereitungsdienstes sowie ihrer emotionalen Erschöpfung befragt. Die Kosten-Nutzen-Skala konnte (erfüllte) Erwartungen an den Vorbereitungsdienst zu beiden Messzeitpunkten ausreichend gut erfassen. Auch die emotionale Erschöpfung wurde reliabel erfasst, wobei ein signifikanter Anstieg an emotionaler Erschöpfung im Untersuchungszeitraum festgestellt wurde. Response Surface Analysen wiesen auf einen Anstieg an emotionaler Erschöpfung im Untersuchungszeitraum hin, wenn Erwartungen an den Vorbereitungsdienst bezüglich dessen Kosten und Nutzen nicht mit der tatsächlichen Wahrnehmung übereinstimmten. Die Ergebnisse werden auf der Grundlage der aktuellen empirischen Befundlage diskutiert. Zuletzt wird ein Ausblick auf anschließende Forschungsarbeiten gegeben.

Effect of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Intervention on Well-Being, Resilience and Burnout of Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on teachers professional and personal lives. Our primary aim was to assess the effect of a blended Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), an emerging mindfulness and cognitive reframing intervention on teacher's well-being. Our secondary aims were to assess the effect of IBSR on resilience, burnout, mindfulness, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was a prospective controlled trial with an intervention group (N = 35) and a comparison control group (N = 32). The intervention took place in the Jerusalem District throughout the school year from November 2019 to May 2020. The sessions were conducted in blended learning that included traditional learning (face-to-face) and online learning. Data was analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: IBSR blended intervention enhanced the resilience and improved the subjective and psychological well-being of teachers in spite of the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first lockdown in Israel. Simultaneously the control group suffered from enhanced burnout levels and a decline in psychological and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Implementation of IBSR blended intervention during the school year may benefit teachers' well-being and ability to flourish, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not all Perfectionists Are as They Are Assessed: An Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Perfectionism Inventory in the Teaching Profession

Perfectionism has been studied for almost 30 years. In the present study, we investigated the internal validity of The Perfectionism Inventory (PI-Hill et al., 2004) in an occupation that encourages perfectionistic tendencies in own behavior or in students' behavior. We collected data from a large sample of schoolteachers (N = 633, 81.18% female, 63.02% from urban areas, 46.66% from secondary schools, mean age = 42.11 years) recruited using a snowball sampling approach, and we analyzed the factor structure of the PI using confirmatory factor analyses. We found that the 8-factor structure of PI provided a reasonable fit root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA = 0.055, 90% CI = (0.053-0.057); SRMR = 0.071]. However, additional analyses revealed problematic divergent validity only in the case of the scales associated with self-evaluative perfectionism, not in the case of the scales associated with conscientious perfectionism. We found that teachers displayed distinguishably different forms of perfectionism only when it referred to own person, not when it referred to perfectionism imposed to others. Based on these findings, we suggested that the PI could provide a useful framework for investigating the role of conscientious-related forms of perfectionism in the development of teacher beliefs regarding their school behavior.

Assertiveness and adaptation: Prospective teachers' social competence development and its significance for occupational well-being

BACKGROUND

Difficult social interactions with students are reported to be among the main stressors of beginning teachers, and although social competence has been suggested to represent a vital resource for their transition into practice and early-career adaptation, this assumption has rarely been empirically studied.

AIM

We conducted two studies to investigate the predictive validity and development of prospective and beginning teachers' social competence. In Study 1, we examined, whether social competence predicts beginning teachers' emotional exhaustion. Study 2 investigated whether university teacher training contributes to social competence development among prospective teachers.

SAMPLE

The samples of both studies are based on large-scale assessments. Participants in Study 1 were 1,758 beginning teachers who had been tracked since their entry into university teacher training. Study 2 included 831 prospective teachers who were surveyed over a total period of two years.

METHODS

Data were analysed utilizing a structural equation modelling approach (Study 1) and latent change score modelling (Study 2).

RESULTS

The results of Study 1 revealed that social competence negatively predicts emotional exhaustion. Further, beginning teachers' reports of classroom management functioned as a mediator within that relationship. According to the findings in Study 2, prospective teachers showed no significant enhancements of social competence within one year of university teacher training. However, there was a significant change considering the two-year interval.

CONCLUSIONS

Social competence, as a predictor of occupational well-being, may constitute one important resource for the early-career adaptation of beginning teachers. However, efforts to promote social competence within university teacher training should be increased.

The Upside to Feeling Worse Than Average (WTA): A Conceptual Framework to Understand When, How, and for Whom WTA Beliefs Have Long-Term Benefits

Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped in critical ways by our beliefs about how we compare to other people. Prior research has predominately focused on the consequences of believing oneself to be better than average (BTA). Research on the consequences of worse-than-average (WTA) beliefs has been far more limited, focusing mostly on the downsides of WTA beliefs. In this paper, we argue for the systematic investigation of the possible long-term benefits of WTA beliefs in domains including motivation, task performance, and subjective well-being. We develop a conceptual framework for examining these possible benefits, we explore the usefulness of this framework to generate novel insights in an important psychological domain (skill learning), and we conclude with broader recommendations for research in other domains such as friendship formation, moral, and political decision making.

The burnout syndrome of educational workers

Since the 1970's when it first started being mentioned in scientific literature, the burnout syndrome has become a widely explored phenomenon. It is defined as a stressful reaction at workplace characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism and reduced feeling of personal achievements. However, authors agreed that it is a multicausal phenomenon as they identified a large number of situational and individual factors involved in its creation. Situational factors relate to working environment and include characteristics of work and profession itself, so as the way of work organization. On the other hand, individual factors include personality characteristics, sociodemographic characteristics and various life-working attitudes of individuals. However, existence of certain contradictions has been noticed and its variation depending on the country in question. The importance of this phenomenon is reflected in numerous negative effects it leaves on the health of individuals, but also in the significant economic overloading of employer and the country, as well. This is the reason for conducting numerous researches regarding this syndrome, with a high prevalence observed in a wide range of professions, including teachers. Authors emphasize that the importance of researching this phenomenon among teachers is of global interest due to already described negative effects on teachers. Additionally, it has a direct effect on educational process, as well as negative influence on mental and emotional growth of children. Consequently, additional research is necessary, especially among teachers, in order to better understand this phenomenon. Gaining further knowledge would enable us to form targeted interventions in order to reduce stress exposure at work and reduce the prevalence of this syndrome among teachers.

Collaborative Mentoring for Retaining Secondary Biology Teachers

Veteran biology teachers are at risk of leaving the classroom due to burnout, feeling uninspired, and overall job dissatisfaction. One way to keep veteran teachers engaged is through continued mentoring. Yet current mentoring programs vary in scope, often focus too heavily on one-to-one talk, with mentors serving as therapists, and generally fail to include veteran teachers. Considering this is not how schools operate, we argue active mentoring for veteran teachers is best when embedded into regular school practice. Collaborative mentoring, as we have termed it, pairs experienced high school teachers with other veteran colleagues, including university professors, in professional development activities centering on improving classroom practices. We believe that collaborative mentoring holds potential to meet the needs of all stakeholders-high school students for support in learning laboratory and writing skills; university faculty for hands-on classroom work and reflective practice, as well as for sharing content and pedagogical knowledge with professionals in the field; and, specifically, veteran biology teachers for expanding access to meaningful professional development opportunities. Focusing on applicable classroom pedagogy serves as a cost-effective model for professional development for veteran teachers, possibly increasing job satisfaction and teacher retention in high schools across the nation.

Effect of Teachers' Happiness on Teachers' Health. The Mediating Role of Happiness at Work

The present study aims to expand the understanding of the effects of dispositional happiness and self-esteem, as dispositional traits, on the health of teachers, as well as to understand the role played by the working environment in generating positive affection, thus mediating between the dispositional traits and teachers' health. Two hundred and eighty-two full-time in-service teachers (93.6% female) from Rome (Italy) took part in this study. Their ages ranged from 26 to 55 (M = 40.49 years, SD = 5.93). Participants' teaching experience ranged from 1 to 31 years (M = 9.95 years, SD = 5.65). 30.6% of participants taught in kindergarten (for children aged 0-5 years), 42.6% in primary schools (for children aged 6-11 years), 15.8% in middle schools and 10.9% in high schools. A questionnaire was administered, containing: the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS); the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES); The adapted version for teachers of the School Children Happiness Inventory (Ivens, 2007); the Physical and Mental Health Scales (SF12). The data were analyzed using the MPLUS software, version 8. Our results showed that teacher happiness at work partially mediates the relationship between dispositional happiness and teacher health, and fully mediates the relationship between self-esteem and teacher health. To the best of our knowledge, the mediational role of teacher happiness has not been addressed before, concerning these dimensions. At the same time, our findings confirmed the role of self-esteem in endorsing health-related behaviors, thus promoting physical and mental health. Moreover, according to our study findings, when teachers acknowledge their workplace as a context in which they feel happy, the impact of dispositional happiness and self-esteem on health conditions is higher. Effective measures to promote teachers' well-being are discussed.

Too Stressed to Teach? Teaching Quality, Student Engagement, and IEP Outcomes

Teacher stress and burnout have a detrimental effect on the stability of the teaching workforce. However, the possible consequences of teacher burnout on teaching quality and on student learning outcomes are less clear, especially in special education settings. We applied Maslach and Leiter's model (1999) to understand the direct effects of burnout on teaching in general and stress arising from interaction with a specific student on the IEP outcomes of young children with autism spectrum disorder. We also examined indirect effects through teaching quality and student engagement. The results indicated that one of the three components of burnout-teacher personal accomplishment-was directly related to IEP outcomes, a distal effect, whereas stress was directly related to teaching quality and student engagement, which were more proximal effects. Additionally, teacher stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization had indirect effects on IEP outcomes through teaching quality and student engagement.

A model for understanding teachers' intentions to remain in STEM education

BACKGROUND

This study examined the relationships of various teacher retention factors with the intentions of math and science teachers to remain in the profession. With data collected from the 2007-08 Schools and Staffing Survey, a sample of 6588 secondary math and science teachers across public schools in the USA was used for structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Socioeconomic impact, student truancy, and years of experience all showed direct relationships with teacher autonomy, while administrative support, teacher autonomy, and satisfaction with salary were all directly related to these teachers' intentions to remain in the profession. Of these teacher retention factors, satisfaction with salary was found to have the strongest relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

By understanding what factors are associated with the intentions of math and science teachers to continue teaching, educational policymakers and practitioners will have practical guidance in helping them make decisions to improve the retention of these teachers in secondary public schools, on whom the fields in STEM are so dependent.

The Relationship between Student Behaviour Patterns and Teacher Burnout

A wide range of factors have been proposed as antecedents of burnout in teachers, including student behaviour in the classroom. Several studies have shown associations between student misbehaviour and teacher burnout. However, researchers have rarely incorporated a direct measure of teachers' perceptions of student behaviour in their own classroom. The main aims of the present study of 100 British primary school teachers were: (a) to explore the properties of a measure of student behaviour in the classroom (the Pupil Behaviour Patterns scale PBP; Friedman, 1995) and (b) to test the prediction of burnout dimensions from dimensions of student behaviour assessed by the PBP. An exploratory factor analysis confirmed the PBP domains of disrespectful behaviour, sociability and attentiveness. Furthermore, reliability analyses supported the internal consistency of the scales. Regression analysis of teacher burnout showed differential prediction by PBP sub-domains: disrespect predicted emotional exhaustion and depersonalization burnout, and lack of sociability predicted depersonalization and personal accomplishment burnout. Methodological problems are discussed along with suggestions for future theoretical and empirical development. In particular, we focus on the potential role of psychological variables such as teacher self-efficacy and coping strategies in explaining how teacher well-being is affected by student behaviour in the classroom.

Students and Teachers Benefit from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in a School-Embedded Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE

There is a research gap in studies that evaluate the effectiveness of a school-embedded mindfulness-based intervention for both students and teachers. To address this gap, the present pilot study reviews relevant literature and investigates whether students and teachers who participate in separate Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses show improvements across a variety of psychological variables including areas of mental health and creativity.

METHODS

The study applied a controlled waitlist design with three measurement points. A total of 29 students (n = 15 in the intervention and n = 14 in the waitlist group) and 29 teachers (n = 14 in the intervention and n = 15 in the waitlist group) completed questionnaires before and after the MBSR course. The intervention group was also assessed after a 4-month follow-up period.

RESULTS

Relative to the control group, significant improvements in self-reported stress, self-regulation, school-specific self-efficacy and interpersonal problems were found among the students who participated in the MBSR course (p < 0.05, Cohens' d ranges from 0.62 to 0.68). Medium effect sizes on mindfulness, anxiety and creativity indicate a realistic potential in those areas. By contrast, teachers in the intervention group showed significantly higher self-reported mindfulness levels and reduced interpersonal problems compared to the control group(p < 0.05, Cohens' d = 0.66 and 0.42, respectively), with medium effect sizes on anxiety and emotion regulation.

CONCLUSION

The present findings contribute to a growing body of studies investigating mindfulness in schools by discussing the similarities and differences in the effects of MBSR on students and teachers as well as stressing the importance of investigating interpersonal effects.

Validation of the Collaboration and Support for Inclusive Teaching Scale in Special Education Teachers

This article describes the development and initial validation of the Collaboration and Support for Inclusive Teaching, a measure of perceived support in special education teachers regarding the degree of collaboration with regular teachers for inclusive practice at school. The scale was validated on a sample of 276 special education teachers coming from lower and higher secondary schools by using both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The resulting 12-item scale was characterized by a one-factor solution explaining 46.59% of data variance and had good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of .876. Associations with other measures supported convergent and divergent validity of the scale. The usefulness of this scale is highlighted with regard to the improvement of cooperative teaching supporting school inclusion, as well as to the prevention of the risk of burnout in special education teachers.

The Relationship Between Perfectionism, Stress and Burnout in Clinical Psychologists

Perfectionism has been suggested as a risk factor for the development of stress and burnout in psychotherapists, but this has not been extensively investigated. This study examined the relationship between perfectionism, stress and burnout in 87 Australian clinical psychologists. Stress had significant influences on the relationship between perfectionism and burnout. Specifically, stress was found to be a partial intervening variable in the relationship between perfectionism and personal burnout. In addition, stress was also found to completely mediate the influence of perfectionism on work-related and client-related burnout. The results indicated that perfectionism was both directly and indirectly related through stress to various types of burnout in clinical psychologists. Implications of the findings for research in to the utility of intervention for high levels of perfectionism in clinical psychologists are discussed.

Clergy motivation and occupational well-being: exploring a quadripolar model and its role in predicting burnout and engagement

Clergy represent a salient group in Western communities, providing a variety of services aimed at supporting diverse members of those communities. Significantly, rates of attrition among clergy are high, suggesting the need to better understand their occupational well-being and factors relevant to it. The present study draws on the quadripolar need achievement framework to hypothesize motivational profiles among clergy and the extent to which these profiles predict occupational well-being, as indicated by low burnout and high engagement. K-means cluster analysis with 200 clergy confirmed a quadripolar motivational profile (success-oriented, overstriving, self-protecting, failure accepting). Using these group profiles as predictors, structural equation modeling identified significant effects on all burnout and engagement factors, with success-oriented, overstriving, self-protecting, and failure accepting groups each reflecting differential occupational well-being profiles. Substantive and applied implications of these findings are discussed.

Comparison of experienced burnout symptoms in specialist oncology nurses working in hospital oncology units or in hospices

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to clarify the differential contributions of situational and individual factors to burnout symptoms experienced by two independent groups of specialist oncology nurses working in oncology hospital units or in hospices.

METHOD

The study involved a group of specialist oncology nurses working in hospital oncology units (n = 59) and a group of specialist oncology nurses working in hospices (n = 33). Participants were invited to provide demographic data, and indicate the clinical setting in which they worked and their work experience; the Italian versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (a measure of burnout symptoms), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (a measure of anxiety and depression), and the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) (a measure of relational style) were then administered.

RESULTS

The two groups of nurses were well matched for age, work experience, and levels of anxiety and depression. Regarding their relational style, the two groups only differed significantly on two subscales of the ASQ (i.e. "Confidence" and "Relationships as Secondary"). The two groups significantly differed in the levels of all burnout symptoms investigated (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement), with nurses working in hospital units showing higher levels of burnout symptoms. Interestingly, multivariate regression analyses showed that the institutional factor (clinical setting in which nurses worked) clearly emerged as the only factor that influenced the level of all burnout symptoms, whereas the contribution of individual factors was less significant.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

These findings help to clarify the differential contributions of institutional and individual factors to burnout symptoms in specialist oncology nurses, and corroborate the need for interventions to contain nurses' burnout symptoms.

The impact of behaviors upon burnout among parish-based clergy

Burnout has an important impact upon the professional satisfaction of clergy. Identifying protective behaviors that may prevent against burnout is important for the long-term emotional health of individual clergy as well as the wider church. This research reports findings among 358 parish-based clergy that identifies the prevalence of burnout and correlates this data with demographic risk factors and protective behaviors. Clergy who met criteria for burnout were younger, identified themselves as being depressed and unsatisfied with their spiritual life, and have endured a traumatic church placement. This research also suggests that having a variety of interests and activities outside of one's vocation may protect against burnout. In particular, behaviors that enhance relationships-such as seeking mentors and attending retreats-as well as pursuing outside activities-such as regular exercise and scholarly reading-protect against burnout. Further implications for the wider church are discussed.

Relationship between quality of life and occupational stress among teachers

OBJECTIVES

With major changes in the education system and limited resources supplied by the Government, Chinese teachers have been suffering from greater occupational stress in recent years, which is believed to affect their physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between quality of life and occupational stress in primary and middle school teachers.

STUDY DESIGN

Originals.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using cluster sampling. The study population was composed of 3570 school teachers working in 64 primary and middle schools in Heping District in Shenyang, China. A demographic questionnaire, the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition were employed to collect demographic variables and assess quality of life and occupational stress. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analyses were performed to study the relationship between quality of life and occupational stress.

RESULTS

The mean scores for both male and female teachers in this study were significantly lower than those for the Chinese general population for all dimensions of quality of life, except mental health and vitality (P<0.05). Male teachers scored significantly higher than female teachers for physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality and physical health (P<0.05). Age, role overload, role insufficiency, vocational strain, psychological strain, physical strain, recreation and rational coping were significantly associated with both the physical and mental component summaries of the SF-36 (P<0.05). Gender, physical environment and self-care appeared to be robust indicators of physical health (P<0.05), while role insufficiency, interpersonal strain and social support were strong indicators of mental health (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In China, teachers have a lower health status than the general population. The quality of life of female teachers is worse than that of male teachers, and deteriorates with age. Occupational stress and strain induce worsening physical and mental conditions for teachers, while coping resources could promote their health. This study suggests that having adequate coping resources, especially social support, in workplaces may be an important factor for improving teachers' quality of life. Moreover, psychological interventions should be set up for teachers, and psychological counselling should be provided to relieve stress and enhance quality of life.

Perfectionism in school teachers: relations with stress appraisals, coping styles, and burnout

Many school teachers suffer from stress and burnout, and perfectionism is a personality characteristic that has been associated with increased stress, maladaptive coping, and burnout. Recent findings, however, show that perfectionism has both positive and negative facets. To investigate how these facets are related to stress, coping, and burnout in teachers, a sample of 118 secondary school teachers completed multidimensional measures of perfectionism, stress appraisals, coping styles, and burnout. Multiple regression analyses showed that striving for perfection was positively related to challenge appraisals and active coping and inversely to threat/loss appraisals, avoidant coping, and burnout whereas negative reactions to imperfection were positively related to threat/loss appraisals, avoidant coping, and burnout and inversely to challenge appraisals and active coping. Perceived pressure to be perfect showed differential relationships depending on the source of pressure: Whereas pressure from students was positively related to loss appraisals and pressure from students' parents was positively related to burnout, pressure from colleagues was inversely related to threat appraisals and burnout. The findings suggest that striving for perfection and perceived pressure from colleagues do not contribute to stress and burnout in teachers, whereas negative reactions to imperfection and perceived pressure from students and students' parents may be contributing factors.

Job stressors, personality and burnout in primary school teachers

BACKGROUND

Teaching is considered a highly stressful occupation. Burnout is a negative affective response occurring as a result of chronic work stress. While the early theories of burnout focused exclusively on work-related stressors, recent research adopts a more integrative approach where both environmental and individual factors are studied. Nevertheless, such studies are scarce with teacher samples.

AIMS

The present cross-sectional study sought to investigate the association between burnout, personality characteristics and job stressors in primary school teachers from Cyprus. The study also investigates the relative contribution of these variables on the three facets of burnout - emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment.

SAMPLE

A representative sample of 447 primary school teachers participated in the study.

METHOD

Teachers completed measures of burnout, personality and job stressors along with demographic and professional data. Surveys were delivered by courier to schools, and were distributed at faculty meetings.

RESULTS

Results showed that both personality and work-related stressors were associated with burnout dimensions. Neuroticism was a common predictor of all dimensions of burnout although in personal accomplishment had a different direction. Managing student misbehaviour and time constraints were found to systematically predict dimensions of burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Teachers' individual characteristics as well as job related stressors should be taken into consideration when studying the burnout phenomenon. The fact that each dimension of the syndrome is predicted by different variables should not remain unnoticed especially when designing and implementing intervention programmes to reduce burnout in teachers.