Upward social comparison sensitivity on teachers' emotional exhaustion: A moderated moderation model of self-esteem and gender

Understanding teacher emotional exhaustion: exploring the role of teaching motivation, perceived autonomy, and teacher-student relationships

Introduction

This research investigates the complex interplay of factors influencing teacher emotional exhaustion within the educational environment. It draws upon a diverse sample of 680 teachers from 15 primary educational institutions in various districts of Shanghai, China.

Methods

The study examines the interrelationships among teacher-student relationships, perceived autonomy, teaching motivation, and emotional exhaustion. It employs validated scales to measure these constructs and utilizes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for analysis.

Results

The analyses using SEM reveal significant associations among the variables under study. The findings indicate robust correlations between positive teacher-student relationships, perceived autonomy, and higher teaching motivation. Concurrently, these factors exhibit a negative relationship with emotional exhaustion.

Discussion

Mediation analysis further unveils that teaching motivation plays a significant mediating role in the associations between teacher-student relationships, perceived autonomy, and emotional exhaustion. This emphasizes the intricate indirect effects of these constructs.

Conclusion

The study underscores the multifaceted nature of these factors and their collective impact on teacher well-being within educational settings. The implications derived highlight the importance for educational institutions to prioritize interventions fostering positive teacher-student relationships, autonomy-supportive environments, and intrinsic motivation among educators. These interventions aim to alleviate emotional exhaustion and enhance teacher well-being.

Emotional Exhaustion Variables in Trainee Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

emotional exhaustion among trainee teachers is a relevant topic since it could have repercussions regarding the lives of their future pupils. Our objective was to determine the degree of trainee teachers' emotional exhaustion and associated variables during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

the design was cross-sectional and descriptive. Questionnaires with sociodemographic variables, perceptions of mental health, and the Emotional Exhaustion Scale (ECE) (α = 0.890; ω = 0.893) validated for the Chilean context were answered by 204 trainee teachers. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 and the Emotional Exhaustion Interpretation Table (EES-Int).

RESULTS

the results show that 92.2% of the trainee teachers presented a worsening in their mental health, stress (66.2%), irritability (38.2%), anxiety (37.7%), and depressive symptoms (32.8%). Online classes (73.04%) and the pandemic (67.6%) were the main influencing factors. Education students who perceived their mental health had worsened became 6.63 times more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 6.63; 95% CI: 1.78, 24.69]. In addition, education students with a high perception of academic stress were 7.45 more likely to develop emotional exhaustion [AOR = 7.45; 95% CI: 1.98, 28.09].

CONCLUSION

we can conclude that trainee teachers have high levels of emotional exhaustion and their perception of their mental health and the academic stress they are being subjected to during the COVID-19 pandemic may lead them to present symptoms of frequent or permanent problems with concentration, attention, recall of information, dissatisfaction with their performance, and frequent learning difficulties. From the affective dimension, they present frequent or permanent anxiety, restlessness, irritability, indifference, low mood, and psychomatization. From the socio-interactional dimension, they present frequent or permanent social withdrawal, interpersonal problems, problems at work or school, and family and relationship problems. Increasing the sample to delve into emotional exhaustion by subject area is necessary. For future studies, research should be conducted on the causes of emotional exhaustion by subject area and the coping strategies of trainee teachers to understand differences and provide input on emotional support in practice.

The effect of trait mindfulness on social media rumination: Upward social comparison as a moderated mediator

Social media rumination means that social media users are inclined to worry about their posts, relevant situational elements, and ramifications of the posts on a regular basis, and it is one of the main reasons why people's use of social media is linked to unfavorable mental health and interpersonal results. Rumination is antagonistic to mindfulness, which entails paying attention on purpose and without judgment, and mindfulness appears to be useful in reducing rumination. However, in the context of social media, the nature of the relationship between rumination and mindfulness has gained less attention. The current research study indicates that trait mindfulness, upward social comparison (USC), and self-esteem are implicated in social media rumination (SMR). However, no research study has synthesized the findings into one model. Therefore, the current research study aims to explore the relationship between trait mindfulness and SMR, the mediating effect of USC, and the moderating effect of self-esteem. The model was tested using AMOS and the PROCESS macro in SPSS with bootstrapping. According to the findings, SC appears to have a moderated mediator effect on the relationship between trait mindfulness and SMR. Specifically, individuals with high mindfulness trait do not necessarily have less USC. Self-esteem moderated the above mediation. The beneficial effect of trait mindfulness on social media rumination is explained in depth in this study.