The Cost of Caring: Compassion Fatigue Is a Special Form of Teacher Burnout

The Symptom Network Structure of Teachers' Burnout and Its Connection to Psychological Capital

Background

Teacher burnout is characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from excessive work-related stress. Previous research based on traditional latent variable theory has revealed a significant negative relationship between TB and psychological capital (PsyCap). This study explored the complex symptoms of TB and the contact points of PsyCap in reducing TB using psychometric network analysis.

Methods

A total of 3991 teachers completed the burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life and Psychological Capital Scale.

Results

The results showed that: (a) In the TB network, the core symptoms displayed by teachers due to burnout are difficulty feeling "I am a very caring person", "I am happy", and "I am the person I always wanted to be"; (b) The TB-PsyCap network was closely connected, and the symptoms affected each other. PsyCap affected the TB network through "I feel optimistic and happy almost every day" and "I often feel that there is a future as a teacher"; (c) PsyCap's bridge symptoms had a negative impact on TB, and PsyCap may reduce TB primarily through optimistic, hopeful dimensions.

Conclusion and Implications

Psychometric network analysis helps us understand the complex symptoms of TB and the contact points of PsyCap in reducing TB. This study offers valuable insights into the prevention of, and intervention in, burnout within the teaching community.

Does Burnout Decrease With Teacher Professional Identity Among Teachers in China?

In China, burnout is common among kindergarten, primary, and secondary school teachers. Previous studies have demonstrated that professional identity positively affects the prevention of burnout among teachers. However, studies on the mediating mechanisms behind and the moderating factors affecting this relationship remain scarce. In this study, the mediating role of work engagement as well as the moderating roles of self-efficacy and perceived organizational support in these relationships was examined. A total of 3,147 kindergarten, primary, and secondary school teachers completed self-reported questionnaires. SPSS 21.0 was used to conduct data analyses, and ordinary least square (OLS) regression was used to conduct mediation and moderation analyses. Results found that the relationship between teacher professional identity and burnout was partially mediated by work engagement. Through work engagement, teacher professional identity had the biggest predictive effects on burnout when the scores for self-efficacy and perceived organizational support were high. Implications for preventing burnout among teachers in the future were provided.

The Effects of Job Crafting on Job Performance among Ideological and Political Education Teachers: The Mediating Role of Work Meaning and Work Engagement

Achieving sustainable development in education requires teaching staff who are committed to sustainability in their professional practice. This study investigated how job crafting, work meaning, work engagement and job performance were related in educational organizations. We analyzed the data of 536 ideological and political education teachers in China using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study found that job crafting was significantly and positively related to job performance, work meaning and work engagement. Moreover, work meaning and work engagement mediate the relationship between job crafting and job performance both individually and in series. Our findings highlight that job crafting is a crucial aspect of teacher performance and must be systematically encouraged by educational managers to increase the meaning and engagement that help sustain performance levels at work.