Wellness as a Mitigating Factor for Teacher Burnout

Abstract

Teacher stress and burnout have been associated with professional dissatisfaction and elevated rates of attrition. Knowledge has emerged to indicate that wellness may relieve professional stress that can precede burnout and departure from the profession; however, more research is needed to substantiate this relationship. The current study examined the potentially militating function of wellness in lowering burnout. For this study, 107 PreK-12th grade teachers completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Educator Survey and the Five-Factor Wellness Inventory. Results indicate significant relationships between reported burnout with wellness indicators and attrition. Implications for teachers, teacher education programs, and educational leadership teams are discussed.

Keywords

teaching stress burnout wellness attrition

The teaching profession has been ranked historically as one of the highest stress-related careers (Johnson et al., 2005), with reports indicating that the majority of teachers have low job satisfaction (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Consequently, almost half of all new teachers leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching, and approximately one third of teachers plan to terminate employment in K-12 schools within the near future (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Because of the negative association of teacher attrition upon student achievement (Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013), educational leaders are challenged to identify factors that contribute to job dissatisfaction as well as preventive and intervention measures to counterbalance chronic workplace stress which may lead to burnout and attrition (Fisher, 2011; Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). This study examines wellness as a mitigating factor that may protect PreK-12th grade teachers from professional burnout. The implications of this study provide direction for school leaders in the identification and provision of interventions and programs to support teacher perseverance.

Sources of Teacher Stress

Low job satisfaction in the teaching profession is related to occupational stress which often results in low levels of physical health and psychological well-being (Johnson et al., 2005). The concept of teacher stress has been studied in national and international settings for over 40 years (Fisher, 2011; Freudenberger, 1974; Gonzalez, Peters, Orange, & Grigsby, 2016; Johnson et al., 2005; McCormick & Barnett, 2011; Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). Findings from research indicate that teacher stress can be attributed to three salient factors: legislation, vocational influences, and personal characteristics. Legislative policies for teacher accountability have existed for over 50 years (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 1965; No Child Left Behind, 2002); however, more recently with Race to the Top, states have begun to implement punitive actions to sanction teachers whose students scored poorly on standardized tests (Tennessee Department of Education, First to the Top, 2013; Wesson, 2013). When comparing high-demand areas such as middle and high school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as third through eighth grade reading and math with low-demand subjects, high-demand area teachers have been found to experience more attrition (Sass, Flores, Claeys, & Pérez, 2012) likely due to the stress of high-stakes testing and the importance of achievement in these disciplines (Gonzalez, et al., 2016; Madaus & Russell, 2010). Although causal attributions cannot be inferred, there appears to be a trend of increased teacher attrition and job dissatisfaction that is parallel to the passage of legislation to increase teacher accountability relative to student achievement (Brevetti, 2014; Burchielli & Bartram, 2006; Jepson & Forrest, 2006; Sass et al., 2012).

In addition to stringent accountability measures, teachers face considerable occupational challenges (Burchielli & Bartram, 2006; Shernoff, Mehta, Atkins, Torf, & Spencer, 2011; Torres, Lawver, & Lambert, 2009). Sources of vocational stress include paperwork, deadlines, and overtime (Torres et al., 2009); inadequate preparation time (Shernoff et al., 2011); austerity of resources (Burchielli & Bartram, 2006); and role diffusion (Shernoff et al., 2011; Velea & Farca, 2013). Stress is reportedly higher among teachers working with students in high-need economically disadvantaged areas with diverse student bodies (Burchielli & Bartram, 2006; Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Shernoff et al., 2011; Stauffer & Mason, 2013). Student behavioral concerns such as discipline, disobedience, and negative affect are also associated with teacher job dissatisfaction (Burchielli & Bartram, 2006; Harrell, Leavell, van Tassel, & McKee, 2004; Shernoff et al., 2011; Stauffer & Mason, 2013).

In the context of examining the prevalence and incidence of stress in the teaching profession, researchers also established individual characteristics, such as demographic and dispositional determinants, that place teachers at heightened stress levels. Younger teachers, especially those under 29 years old, have been found to experience greater levels of stress, especially as compared with those over 50 years old (Hughes, 2006). Researchers have found that personality variables may affect the level of susceptibility that teachers experience in that those with Type A behaviors (Jepson & Forrest, 2006) or lack perceived self-efficacy (Hughes, 2006; Yoon, 2002) have reported high incidence of stress reactions. Even when teachers experience similar amounts of stress, those who are young and new in their careers are more susceptible to burnout (Fisher, 2011; Maslach et al., 2001) which underscores the vulnerability of early career teachers.

Relationship Between Stress and Burnout

The presence of multiple stressors without the existence of the necessary coping skills to alleviate stress often leads to burnout (Maslach et al., 2001). Although the terms stress and burnout are frequently used interchangeably, burnout denotes an all-encompassing psychological and physical state, marked by a loss of energy and inability to function in many areas of one’s life including behavior, health, relationships, and attitudes (Freudenberger, 1974). Although Freudenberger (1974) was the first to discuss the prevalence of burnout in human service professionals by drawing attention to the depletion of psychological and physical resources that can accompany intensive “people work,” Maslach and Jackson (1981) further developed the construct. In their seminal work, Maslach and Jackson developed a burnout scale which was validated across a large sample of human service workers. Through this research, they determined that burnout occurs progressively across three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion is the experience of extreme fatigue due to stress, depersonalization is the occurrence of emotional disengagement from service recipients, and personal accomplishment is the presence of vocational achievement (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 2010). This model has provided a foundation for numerous studies examining the presence of burnout with reports of emotional exhaustion providing an early warning sign to the occurrence of burnout (Fisher, 2011; Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 2016; Oakes, Lane, Jenkins, & Booker, 2013).

Effects of Stress and Burnout on Teachers and Students

Teachers have been found to experience a disproportionate level of professional stress which makes them susceptible to burnout. Shernoff et al. (2011) found that teachers who report occupational stress experienced concomitant physical and psychological symptoms, strained personal relationships, and decreased work performance. Teachers who endure elevated levels of stress without adequate coping mechanisms are more likely to experience the detrimental effects of burnout (Herman, Hickmon-Rosa, & Reinke, 2018). For educators, burnout is marked by emotional exhaustion, a loss of interest in students or teaching (e.g., depersonalization), reduced feelings of personal accomplishment, decreased job satisfaction, increased absences, and professional attrition (Fisher, 2011; Maslach et al., 2001; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2017).

Although the experience of stress or burnout is exceptionally damaging to the individual, the occurrence among educators has a deleterious impact on their student populations. Most notably, student–teacher relationships are instrumental to both the learning process and positive scholastic outcomes (Klem & Connell, 2004). Teachers perceived as supportive and compassionate have been found to develop classroom environments marked by high student engagement and achievement (Hughes & Kwok, 2007; Klem & Connell, 2004). By contrast, teachers impaired by reduced feelings of personal accomplishment and depersonalization (Maslach et al., 2001) struggle to maintain healthy student–teacher relationships and a high-quality learning environment (Klem & Connell, 2004; Yoon, 2002). The notion that teacher burnout contributes to an adverse learning environment was further explored by Grayson and Alvarez (2008) who discovered that teacher burnout negatively affected classroom climate and students’ end of year test results. Similarly, Yoon (2002) found that high levels of teacher stress and reduced personal accomplishment were associated with increased student conduct issues, which in turn diminished the student–teacher relationship and negatively affected students’ academic performance.

Mitigating Factors

Given the deleterious impact of teacher burnout, researchers have investigated factors that may decrease occupational stress and assuage the progression toward burnout. Work environment (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005; Shernoff et al., 2011; Stauffer & Mason, 2013), including positive student–teacher relationships (Split, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011), and personality characteristics (Jepson & Forrest, 2006; Sünbül, 2003; Tait, 2008) have been identified as influential variables that can buffer teachers from burnout. Although the focus on teaching environment and personal traits may provide insight, both of these characteristics are difficult to alter (Jepson & Forrest, 2006; Maslach et al., 2001). By contrast, individual practices that promote all aspects of health (e.g., physical, mental, emotional, and social) have been explored as well in respect to their ameliorative impact on stress and burnout (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Klingbeil & Renshaw, 2018; Pascual, Perez-Jover, Mirambell, Ivanez, & Terol, 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003). Recent studies have concluded that mindfulness (Iancu, Rusu, Măroiu, Păcurar, & Maricuţoiu, 2018) and other coping mechanisms (Herman et al., 2018) enhance teachers’ ability to manage occupational demands. In addition, programs that promote teacher resilience (Lantieri, Kyse, Harnett, & Malkmus, 2011) and social support (DeWert, Babinski, & Jones, 2003) have demonstrated significant results in promoting occupational satisfaction and retention.

Wellness

Within this line of research, the notion of wellness practices has emerged as a promising antidote to militate individuals against debilitating workplace stress (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Lantieri et al., 2011; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003). Researchers have defined wellness as being a multidimensional concept that involves the presence of many factors (Witmer, Sweeney, & Myers, 1998), beyond the absence of illness, that create balance across all areas of an individual’s life (Lafferty, 1979; Myers & Sweeney, 2004; Roscoe, 2009). Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology provided a foundation for the construct of wellness in that he discussed the importance of examining the influences of all aspects of a person’s life and inner self to determine well-being (Adler, 1927). Based on Adler’s theoretical work, Myers and Sweeny’s Indivisible Self wellness model (IS-WEL; 2004) operationalizes wellness across five factors: the creative self, the coping self, the social self, the essential self, and the physical self. As opposed to examining factors as separate constructs, this view provides a holistic approach to wellness in that individual, relational, and environmental aspects work in conjunction to create, shape, and maintain an individual’s well-being (Adler, 1927; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).

Wellness Practices for Reducing Incidence of Burnout

Empirical evidence for wellness practices that have been found to safeguard against burnout in teachers is available but not as prevalent as the research on the occurrence of stress and burnout (Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). In the late 1990s, the EUROTEACH study examined teacher stress and wellness across 11 European countries (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003). The EUROTEACH studies reviewed the influence of the wellness practices of social support, task-oriented coping, meaningfulness, and emotion-oriented coping on the occurrence of job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reports of personal accomplishment (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003). In these teacher populations, wellness factors were related to decreased burnout and increased job satisfaction (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003) which provided support to the notion of wellness practices providing a buffer for burnout.

Justification for Research

Unmitigated stress resulting in burnout has been linked with teacher job dissatisfaction and the alarming trend in teacher attrition (Fisher, 2011; Johnson et al., 2005; Maslach et al., 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Burnout is a multitiered construct that creates detrimental consequences for not only the individual teacher but also the educational environment and ultimately students’ attainment of educational goals (Lantieri et al., 2011; Maslach et al., 2001). Researchers have suggested that wellness practices may reduce the incidence of burnout (Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003); however, the majority of research on teacher wellness in relation to burnout does not explore the construct through a developed wellness model based upon theoretical understanding. The purpose of this study is to examine teachers’ reported wellness factors and burnout levels to determine if a relationship exists between the presence of wellness practices and a decreased incidence of burnout based on two empirically supported construct models. If an association is found between burnout and wellness, specific practices can be encouraged by educational leaders to reduce the incidence of burnout and its negative effects on teachers, students, and the school environment (Hughes & Kwok, 2007; Klem & Connell, 2004; Yoon, 2002). Three research questions were posited to examine the relationship between (a) total wellness and the three dimensions of burnout, (b) the five factors of wellness and the three dimensions of burnout, and (c) future vocational plans and the three dimensions of burnout. These questions will be further described in the methodology section.

Method

This research study utilizes ordinary least squares regression analysis to answer the first two research questions with the data from the first model guiding the inclusion of control variables in the second model. After running these analyses, the regression models were examined for problems of multicollinearity, influential data points, the amount of variance (R²) explained by each model, the significance level (p) of each predictor variable in explaining this variance with alpha at .05, and the order of importance of any significant predictor variables (β). To answer the third research question, this study utilizes point-biserial correlation analysis to determine the relationship between a dichotomous independent variable with the dependent variables. The correlation results were examined to determine the point-biserial correlation coefficient (r_pb) and the significance level (p) for each variable with alpha at .01. Finally, these findings were examined for statistical and practical significance of the data.

Sample

The sample consisted of educators in a PreK through 12th grade public school setting in a semirural district located in the Mid-South region of the United States. Teachers were recruited for this institutional review board (IRB) approved study via an email sent by the first author to the superintendent of schools. The superintendent forwarded the email to all principals per the memorandum of understanding. The principals of the six schools proceeded to forward the email to all educators within the system (N = 202), thereby using complete enumeration in obtaining a sample from the population. This email contained the informed consent agreement and the three data collection measurements: Demographic survey, Maslach Burnout Inventory–Educator Survey (MBI-ES), and Five-Factor Wellness Inventory (5F-WEL). Although 137 teachers began the survey, 30 (21.9%) of the respondents failed to complete all three measures yielding an initial sample size of 107 respondents (52.97% response rate). To be included in the sample, the participants identified as full-time teachers, answered all control variables, and completed both survey instruments. However, three teachers reported answers that did not correspond with the accepted responses. The first teacher reported years taught as “less than one year,” which was recoded as 1 year taught. The second teacher reported age as “40 plus years” and years in educational field as “20 plus years.” Due to the uncertainty of the actual age and years in the educational field, this participant was removed from the data analysis. The third teacher reported part-time employment and was removed from analysis as well to maintain a focus on full-time teachers, bringing the sample to 105 teachers.

The predominately female sample consisted of 89 women (84.8%) and 16 men (15.2%), who ranged in age from 22 to 66, with a mean age of 40.81 (SD = 11.766). Their years in the educational field ranged from 1 to 39 with a mean of 12.14 (SD = 9.640). The participants were closely distributed across elementary and secondary settings with 49 (46.7%) respondents working in PreK through fifth grade and 56 (53.3%) respondents working in sixth through 12th grade. Participants identified as African American/Black (n = 26, 24.8%), Caucasian/White (n = 77, 73.3%), and Native American (n = 2, 1.9%).

Report card data

According to school report card data, the graduation rate, number of English language learners, percentage of students with disabilities, and per pupil expenditure for the school district in this study are comparable with the average for all schools across the state (Tennessee Department of Education, 2014). However, this county has a discrepancy with the state averages in average ACT score for juniors, percentage of students classified as economically disadvantaged, and racial/ethnicity breakdown. These statistics demonstrate that at the time of this research, this county had more African American/Black students, higher poverty level, and lower educational achievement attainment as compared with the state’s population (Tennessee Department of Education, 2014). The information is provided in detail in Table 1.

Table 1.

State and County Report Card Data.

Demographics	State	County
Graduation rate	87.2%	85.2%
English language learners	4.5%	2.4%
Students with disabilities	14.2%	15.0%
Per pupil expenditure	$9,346.30	$9,591.90
Average ACT	19.3	16.9
Economically disadvantaged	58.8%	76.2%
Race/ethnicity
African American/Black	24.1%	63.1%
Caucasian/White	65.6%	29.5%
Hispanic	7.8%	7.0%
Other	2.5%	0.4%

Measurements

Demographic survey

Teachers received an anonymous survey to determine age, years in educational field, and grade level (PreK-5 or 6-12). Researchers have found varying levels of burnout based on these demographic variables (Fisher, 2011; Gonzalez et al., 2016; Hughes, 2006; Sass et al., 2012; Maslach et al., 2001) which justifies the use of this demographic information in determining control variables in analysis. The survey also included a question regarding future vocational plans within the next 5 years to uncover possible plans for attrition and requested information regarding gender and race/ethnicity to determine the characteristics of the sample.

MBI-ES

The MBI-ES (Maslach et al., 2010) was developed to determine the reported incidence of three factors that may lead to burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The survey contains 22 statements that educators rate on a 6-point scale according to frequency of thought, feeling, or action with 0 = never, 1 = a few times a year or less, 2 = once a month or less, 3 = a few times a month, 4 = once a week, 5 = a few times a week, and 6 = every day. Sample items are I feel used up at the end of the workday (emotional exhaustion), I worry this job is hardening me emotionally (depersonalization), and I deal very effectively with the problems of my students (personal accomplishment). The statements are scored and divided into the three subscales which are categorized as low, moderate, or high. There is not an overall score for total burnout. The reliability of the MBI-ES has been substantiated with Cronbach alphas ranging from .72 to .90 (Maslach et al., 2010).

5F-WEL

Myers and Sweeney (2005) operationalized the IS-WEL through the development of the 5F-WEL which provides a self-reported wellness rating with a range of zero (lowest) to 100 (highest) for five factors of self (creative, coping, social, essential, and physical), 17 second order factors, four context areas, and life satisfaction, as well as a total wellness score (Myers & Sweeney, 2005). For the scope of this study, only data for total wellness and the five factors will be examined. The inventory consists of 91 statements that participants rate on a lettered 4-point Likert-type scale with A = strongly agree, B = agree, C = disagree, and D = strongly disagree according to how true the statement is for them. Examples of statements are I can take charge and manage a situation when it is appropriate (creative self), I am satisfied with how I cope with stress (coping self), I can start and keep relationships that are satisfying to me (social self), I am proud of my cultural heritage (essential self), and I eat a healthy diet (physical self). The reliability of the 5F-WEL has been substantiated with Cronbach alphas ranging from .90 to .94 (Myers & Sweeney, 2005).

Research Design

The general research hypothesis is that there exists a negative relationship between wellness and burnout in that higher reports of wellness are related to lower incidence of burnout and that there exists a positive relationship between burnout and attrition in that teachers with higher levels of burnout will report plans to leave their current position or the profession within the next 5 years.

Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study and creation of data analysis models:

Hypothesis 1: To what extent are the three burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) related to total wellness while controlling for demographic characteristics (age, years in educational field, and grade level)? Consequently, the first hypothesis is that teachers with higher levels of total wellness would have lower levels of burnout as measured separately by the three dimensions of burnout.

Hypothesis 2: To what extent are the three burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) related to each of the five factors of wellness (creative, coping, social, essential, and physical), controlling for any demographic variables found to be significant in the first model? The resulting second hypothesis is that teachers with higher levels of wellness as measured separately by the five factors of self would report lower levels of burnout across the three dimensions.

Hypothesis 3: To what extent are the three burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) related to future vocational plans over the next 5 years? Therefore, the third hypothesis is that teachers with higher levels of burnout would report plans for attrition by changing positions or leaving the profession.

Research Question 1: To answer the first research question, ordinary least squares multiple regression analyses were used to determine whether the three reported teacher burnout levels were significantly related to total wellness and whether burnout related significantly to teacher age, numbers of years taught, and grade level (control variables). Total wellness was measured by teachers’ responses on the 5F-WEL (Myers & Sweeney, 2005; Cronbach α = .956). Burnout was measured by the MBI-ES which reports burnout across three dimensions: emotional exhaustion (Cronbach α = .904), personal accomplishment (Cronbach α = .763), and depersonalization (Cronbach α = .692; Maslach et al., 2010). The control variables, age, years taught, and grade level, were gathered through teacher survey.

Research Question 2: The regression analysis for the second model addresses the second research question while maintaining the same three dependent variables as the first model. The analyses involved separate regression using each of the three burnout levels as the dependent variables and the five factors of wellness as the independent variables while controlling for any variables found to be significant in the first model. The five factors were measured by the 5F-WEL: creative self (Cronbach α = .885), coping self (Cronbach α = .859), social self (Cronbach α = .878), essential self (Cronbach α = .874), and physical self (Cronbach α = .853; Myers & Sweeney, 2005).

Research Question 3: The third research question was answered through point-biserial correlation analysis. In the survey, future vocational plans over the next 5 years were reported in six categories: (a) continue in current position, (b) change to another position within district, (c) change to another district, (d) change to another profession, (e) retire, or (f) other plans. To perform the analysis, future vocational plans was transformed to a dichotomous variable with binary outcome: remain in current position (0) or leave current position (1). Any plans to leave the current job was viewed as attrition since even lateral changes can create shortage in high-need areas (Ronfeldt et al., 2013).

Data Analysis

Initially, the first author examined the data in Qualtrics to recode any necessary variables to ensure consistency with the testing instruments and accuracy in analysis. Then, the first author transferred all data into IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 20) for analysis. After determining accuracy in the data set, Cronbach’s alphas were calculated. Possibly influential data points were found through examination of residual statistical values, and one influential data point was identified through analysis. Removal of this data point significantly affected the regression coefficient on one dependent variable, depersonalization, for one control variable, grade level; therefore, this individual was removed from further analysis which reduced the final sample size for the study to 104 participants.

Results

Means and standard deviations for the independent, control, and dependent variables are included in Table 2. The means indicate that this sample on average reported a moderate amount of emotional exhaustion, a low level of depersonalization, and a low report of reduced personal accomplishment (Table 3). Preliminary exploratory analyses indicated that there were no multicollinearity problems in the data; the highest variance inflation factor (VIF) was 2.897.

Table 2.

Descriptive Statistics (n = 104).

Variables and demographics	M	SD	#	%
Gender
Female			88	84.615
Male			16	15.385
Grade level
PreK-5			49	47.115
6-12			55	52.885
Age	40.99	11.676
Years in educational field	12.25	9.624
Future vocational plans
Remain in current position			68	65.385
Change/leave position			36	34.615
Independent variables
Total wellness	80.703	7.131
Creative self	80.746	8.635
Coping self	76.265	8.881
Social self	88.702	10.234
Essential self	88.537	8.476
Physical self	71.755	12.482
Dependent variables
Emotional exhaustion	19.010	11.165
Depersonalization	4.346	4.355
Personal accomplishment	38.500	6.775

Table 3.

Burnout Levels (n = 104).

	Low			Moderate			High
	Range	n	%	Range	n	%	Range	n	%
EE	0-16	48	46.154	17-26	28	26.923	27-54	28	26.923
DP	0-8	87	83.654	9-13	12	11.538	14-30	5	4.808
PA	37-48	67	64.423	31-36	25	24.038	0-30	12	11.538

Note. EE = emotional exhaustion; DP = depersonalization; PA = personal accomplishment.

Model I

In the first data analysis model, to address the first research hypothesis, the four independent variables were entered simultaneously: total wellness, age, years in educational field, and teaching grade level. The regression analysis was conducted separately for the three burnout subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. The regression results indicate that the set of independent variables explained 13.2%, F(4, 99) = 3.764, p = .007, of the variance in emotional exhaustion with total wellness (β = −.337, t = −3.547, p = .001) having significant influence on emotional exhaustion with α = .05. The regression results indicate that the set of independent variables explained 23.2%, F(4, 99) = 7.476, p < .001, of the variance in personal accomplishment with total wellness (β = .413, t = 4.620, p < .001) having a significant influence on personal accomplishment with α = .05. The independent variables were not significantly related to depersonalization. Age, years in educational field, and grade level taught were not statistically significant variables for any of the three burnout measures. Detailed report for Model I is included in Table 4. Therefore, for the first research hypothesis, teachers with higher levels of total wellness expressed lower levels of two burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment.

Table 4.

Model I Summary, ANOVA^ab, and Coefficients (n = 104).

Variables^{a b}	B	SE	β	t	p	F(df-4, 99)	R ²	ΔR²	SE of estimate
Emotional exhaustion					.007	3.764*	.132	.097	10.610
Total wellness	−0.528	0.149	−.337	−3.547*	.001
Age	−0.056	0.129	−.059	−0.435	.664
Years in educational field	0.179	0.154	.154	1.162	.248
Grade level	0.977	2.104	.044	0.464	.644
Depersonalization					.053	2.424	.089	.052	4.239
Total wellness	−0.113	0.059	−.185	−1.896	.061
Age	−0.055	0.051	−.146	−1.060	.292
Years in educational field	0.106	0.062	.233	1.717	.089
Grade level	1.635	0.841	.188	1.944	.055
Personal accomplishment					<.001	7.476*	.232	.201	6.056
Total wellness	0.392	0.085	.413	4.620*	<.001
Age	−0.128	0.073	−.220	−1.740	.085
Years educational field	0.147	0.088	.209	1.674	.097
Grade level	−1.814	1.201	−.134	−1.510	.134

Note. MBI-ES = Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey; 5F-WEL: Five-Factor Wellness Inventory; ANOVA = analysis of variance.

Dependent variables: teacher burnout scales (MBI-ES) of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment.

Independent variables: total wellness (5F-WEL), age, years in field, and grade level.

p < .05.

Model II

As the selected demographic variables (age, years in educational field, and grade level) did not explain a significant amount of variance in burnout across the three dimensions, they were excluded from the second data analysis model to address the second research hypothesis. In this model, the five independent variables were entered simultaneously: creative self, coping self, social self, essential self, and physical self. The regression results indicate that the set of independent variables explained 21.4%, F(5, 98) = 5.325, p < .001, of the variance in emotional exhaustion with the creative self (β = −.360, t = −2.372, p = .020) and the physical self (β = −.247, t = −2.356, p = .020) having significant influence on emotional exhaustion with α = .05. There was no signification relationship between emotional exhaustion and the other three independent variables: coping self, social self, and essential self. The regression results indicate that the set of independent variables explained 22.5%, F(5, 98) = 5.707, p < .001, of the variance in personal accomplishment with the creative self (β = .398, t = 2.642, p = .010) having a significant influence on personal accomplishment with α = .05. There was no significant relationship between personal accomplishment and the other three independent variables: coping self, social self, essential self, and physical self. There was no significant relationship between the independent variables and depersonalization. All data for Model II are included in Table 5. For the second hypothesis, the results indicate that burnout was significantly influenced by wellness factors, in that teachers with higher levels of the creative self factor reported lower emotional exhaustion and higher feelings of personal accomplishment, and teachers with higher levels of the physical self factor reported lower emotional exhaustion as well.

Table 5.

Model II Coefficients (n = 104).

Variables^a b	B	SE	β	t	p	F(df-5, 98)	R ²	ΔR²	SE of estimate
Emotional exhaustion Creative self Coping self Social self Essential self Physical self	−0.466−0.1330.2220.160−0.221	0.1970.1680.1310.1550.094	−.360−.106.204.122−.247	−2.372* −0.7921.6991.037−2.356*	<.001.020.430.093.302.020	5.325*	.214	.174	10.150
Depersonalization Creative self Coping self Social self Essential self Physical self	−0.014−0.053−0.0080.042−0.058	0.0840.0720.0560.0660.040	−.028−.107−.019.082−.166	−0.168−0.731−0.1430.636−1.445	.354.867.467.886.526.152	1.122	.054	.006	4.342
Personal accomplishment Creative self Coping self Social self Essential self Physical self	0.313−0.0120.035−0.0840.100	0.1180.1010.0790.0930.057	.398−.015.052−.105.184	2.642* −0.1160.439−0.9051.765	<.001.010.908.662.368.081	5.707*	.225	.186	6.113

Note. MBI-ES = Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey; 5F-WEL: Five-Factor Wellness Inventory.

Dependent variables: teacher burnout scales (MBI-ES) of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment.

Independent variables: wellness scales (5F-WEL) of creative self, coping self, social self, essential self, and physical self.

p < .05.

Model III

To examine the third research hypothesis, point-biserial correlation analysis was utilized to determine the relationship between future vocational plans (remain in current position or leave current position) with the three dimensions of burnout. The results indicate that there was a positive correlation between depersonalization and future vocational plans which was statistically significant (r_pb = .282, p = .004) with α = .01. There was no significant relationship between future vocational plans with emotional exhaustion or personal accomplishment. All data for Model III are included in Table 6. Therefore, for the third hypothesis, teachers with higher levels of one burnout dimension, depersonalization, indicated a greater likelihood to leave their current position within the next 5 years.

Table 6.

Model III Correlations (n = 104).

Variables	r_pb	P
Future vocational plans
Emotional exhaustion	.170	.084
Depersonalization	.282**	.004
Personal accomplishment	−.135	.172

Correlation is significant at the .01 level (two-tailed).

Discussion

This study expands upon previous research by examining the relationship between wellness and burnout through a theoretically and empirically informed lens. The results of this study indicate that numerous teachers in this sample reported characteristics of burnout at the time of testing according to the MBI-ES, particularly emotional exhaustion. These results were similar to other research which has found that on average, teachers experience moderate emotional exhaustion, low levels of depersonalization, and low report of reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach et al., 2010; Oakes et al., 2013). However, examination of the percentage of teachers that scored in the moderate and high ranges for each dimension reveals cause for concern. With the sample means in the moderate range, 53.85% of teachers reported moderate or high emotional exhaustion. Although the sample means were in the low range for the other two burnout dimensions, 16.35% of teachers reported moderate or high levels of depersonalization, and 35.58% of teachers reported moderate and high feelings of reduced personal accomplishment. As this sample of teachers varied in reported burnout, the data suggest the need to examine specific factors related to lowered report of these symptoms.

Model I

This model answered the first research study question regarding the extent the three burnout dimensions were related to total wellness while controlling for selected demographic characteristics. Although research has indicated other trends (Fisher, 2011; Hughes, 2006; Neto, Bursey, Janowiak, Mccarty, & Demeter, 2018), demographic control variables (age, years in educational field, and grade level) were not significantly related to any of the burnout dimensions for this sample and were therefore removed from analysis in Model II. Total wellness was not significantly related to depersonalization; however, significant amounts of variance in emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment were explained by total wellness. These findings support those of previous researchers that there exists an inverse relationship between wellness practices and burnout (Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Griva & Joekes, 2003; Jepson & Forrest, 2006; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Maslach et al., 2001; Montgomery & Rupp, 2005; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003; Shernoff et al., 2011; Stauffer & Mason, 2013; Sünbül, 2003; Tait, 2008). Therefore, a more in-depth examination of the relationship between wellness and burnout is warranted.

Model II

In addition to the influence of total wellness in reducing the presence of burnout symptoms, this study examined the role of specific wellness practices in the manifestation of burnout. This model answered the second research study question which asked the extent the three burnout dimensions were related to each of the five factors of wellness. For this sample, teachers who reported higher wellness in the physical self factor conveyed lower symptoms of emotional exhaustion. The physical self consists of two second order factors related to self-care: exercise and nutrition (Myers & Sweeney, 2005). Therefore, teachers who reported utilizing these physical self-care strategies were less likely to report symptoms of emotional exhaustion, defined as fatigue due to emotional stress (Maslach et al., 2010), which supports previous research that there exists a relationship between self-care practices and reduced burnout in teachers (Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Iancu et al., 2018; Tait, 2008). Therefore, the implementation, continuation, or revision of teachers’ personal health plans may reduce the occurrence of burnout.

Two factors were found to significantly influence the occurrence of reduced personal accomplishment: the physical self factor and the creative self factor. Elements of the physical self factor were described in the previous paragraph. The creative self consists of five second order factors: thinking, emotions, control, work, and positive humor (Myers & Sweeney, 2005). The creative self factor involves the ability to develop and utilize personal characteristics to construct accurate interpretations of events, form beneficial interactions in the environment, and make a positive impact on others (Myers & Sweeney, 2005). Elements of the creative self factor have been found to reduce the incidence of teacher burnout and can be divided into vocational and individual types. Personal views regarding vocational attributes such as work environment (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005; Shernoff et al., 2011; Stauffer & Mason, 2013), occupational commitment (Jepson & Forrest, 2006), job engagement (Maslach et al., 2001), and meaningfulness (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003) may mitigate teacher stress and burnout, as may individual characteristics such as internal locus of control (Sünbül, 2003), problem-solving capabilities (Tait, 2008), and the ability to control negative emotional responses such as dissatisfaction, anxiety, and depression (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). Although this study did not examine specific activities and characteristics that promote expression of the creative self in the context of teaching, results seem to support the assertion that teachers who experience a positive school climate (Grayson & Alvarez, 2008; Oakes et al., 2013), serve in leadership positions (Mansfield, Beltman, Broadley, Weatherby-Fell, 2016), and have decision-making opportunities regarding important curricular and disciplinary policies (Wright, Shields, Black, Banerjee, & Waxman, 2018) are more protected from burnout despite the experience of high occupational stress.

Three factors of wellness were not significantly related to any of the burnout dimensions for the participants in this study: coping self, social self, and essential self. However, other researchers have found that elements of these factors were related to burnout in different populations. Researchers have found that task-oriented coping (Griva & Joekes, 2003) and social support (Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003) reduced the incidence of burnout in teacher populations. The significance levels for this current study may have been affected by the sample which will be further discussed in the limitations section.

Model III

This model answered the third research question which probed the extent that the three burnout dimensions were related to future vocational plans. Teachers who stated that they planned to make a vocational change within the next 5 years reported higher levels depersonalization which further implies that the presence of burnout may precede attrition (Fisher, 2011; Maslach et al., 2001). Maslach and Jackson’s (1981) construct of depersonalization strongly mirrors the notion of teacher apathy, characterized by a loss of interest in teaching and a sense of disappointment in the profession, which has been found to significantly predict teacher attrition (Hancock & Scherff, 2010). Approximately, one third of the teachers in this sample indicated that they plan to change positions, districts, professions, retire, or make another vocational change within the next 5 years. Although many disaffected teachers consider a change in grade level or district a solution to an untenable work environment, lateral moves create shortages in high-need areas and districts and have a negative impact upon student achievement, much like attrition (Ronfeldt et al., 2013). Our findings, when situated in a broader context, attest to a need for innovative strategies to work with teachers experiencing depersonalization and apathy to avert lateral movement.

Implications for Teacher Education Programs and Other Stakeholders

Based on the findings of this study, it is reasonable conjecture that a comprehensive program with the intention of assisting teachers in the implementation and maintenance of wellness practices may benefit teachers in reducing burnout symptoms. This shift to a wellness perspective may be accomplished at the educational and vocational levels. Teacher training programs, schools, and school systems are all vital participants in the creation, implementation, and maintenance of wellness programs for teachers (Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Lauzon, 2003; Resnicow & Allensworth, 1996).

Due to the negative outcome of teacher burnout on student–teacher relationships (Hughes & Kwok, 2007; Klem & Connell, 2004), student achievement (Ronfeldt et al., 2013), and the teaching profession (U.S. Department of Education, 2012), providing prospective teachers with this information may provide awareness as a preemptive intervention prior to entering the educational workforce. The results from this study indicate that a wellness implementation and monitoring program may have merit for teacher education programs in the reduction of teacher burnout (Curry & O’Brien, 2012). Wellness programs for teachers may consist of education regarding wellness models, evaluation of current wellness practices, creation of a wellness plan, instruction in self-monitoring wellness levels, and methods to seek interventions when warranted (Lenz, Sangganjanavanich, Balkin, Oliver, & Smith, 2012).

For current teachers, school or district led three-tiered wellness programs can provide information and intervention regarding wellness and burnout (Curry & O’Brien, 2012). Considering the results of this study, the primary level of intervention may involve education regarding the role of the physical self and the creative self factors in reducing burnout; however, the most salient elements may differ according to the population. Assessment of wellness practices and burnout levels can provide valuable information to address the needs of the teachers and school and guide the creation of services for the secondary and tertiary levels.

Another benefit of a school-based intervention program is the natural connection that extends from group participation and membership, as supportive environments have been found to reduce attrition (Hancock & Scherff, 2010), a draining consequence of teacher burnout. Teachers have reported that support from others is beneficial in initiating and continuing wellness practices and decreasing burnout which may be obtained from a variety of sources. School systems, schools, administrators, coworkers, friends, family members, and the community may be influential in helping teachers have the resources, time, and encouragement they need to improve wellness and reduce burnout (Burchielli & Bartram, 2006; Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Erickson & Gillespie, 2000).

Limitations

The generalizability of these results is limited due to the characteristics of the population, self-selection for participation, and the design of the study. This regression study provides a measure of the relationship between burnout and wellness factors for this group of educators at the time of the study; therefore, the results do not allow for causal attributions. The survey was given in the spring at the end of the school year which was possibly an elevated time of stress for teachers due to high stakes achievement tests, end of course exams, likelihood of increase in student misbehavior, and the culmination of the year’s responsibilities. The survey was administered to the entire teacher population of the district with approximately half of the teachers completing all three measures. Teachers may have decided to participate based on an unknown influential factor. The small sample size not only lacks representativeness of the national population of teachers but also limited the statistical power of the analysis. Additional studies using a sampling of various populations with longitudinal data collection would provide a more accurate portrayal of the phenomenon of wellness and burnout among teachers using this model. Also, since depersonalization was found to be influential in teachers’ decision to leave their current position but was not found to be related to specific wellness factors, more information is needed in this area.

Suggestions for Future Research

More comprehensive results may be obtained through longitudinal surveys of various teacher populations. Concurrent research of populations from various geographical regions and student demographic and socioeconomic levels may provide a more comprehensive view of the phenomenon. Surveying teachers at several points during the school year would determine the existence of any interaction between time of school year, burnout levels, and wellness beliefs and practices. Also, the implementation of wellness improvement strategies using a pretest–posttest design with a control group would indicate the level of effectiveness of the implemented wellness program in reducing burnout. Future research in this area will continue to expand the current knowledge base concerning wellness as an ameliorating influence for burnout, as well as specific factors that contribute to burnout and attrition.

Conclusion

The large incidence of teacher stress and burnout is a concerning trend in the education profession (Johnson et al., 2005). Teacher stress and burnout increase job dissatisfaction and attrition (U.S. Department of Education, 2012) and detrimentally affect students’ educational attainment and the school climate (Klem & Connell, 2004; Yoon, 2002). Researchers have categorized the causes of teachers’ stress and burnout under personal and professional variables (Stauffer & Mason, 2013), which may be difficult to change without comprehensive political or educational reform or extensive individual psychological change (Jepson & Forrest, 2006; Maslach et al., 2001). Therefore, researchers have investigated the various practices associated with an increase in teachers’ ability to cope with the stressful features of the profession (Burchielli & Bartram, 2006; Lantieri et al., 2011). Since the occurrence of burnout has a deleterious impact on teachers’ personal and professional functioning (Fisher, 2011; Maslach et al., 2001), wellness may exert a curative effect by encouraging teachers to engage in practices that support a healthy orientation across all aspects of life (Curry & O’Brien, 2012; Griva & Joekes, 2003; Kittel & Leynen, 2003; Maslach et al., 2001; Pascual et al., 2003; Sann & Goethe, 2003). Although this study does not show evidence of causation, the data support and expand the understanding of the relationship between teachers’ wellness practices and incidence of burnout, which may contribute to decisions to change positions or leave the teaching profession.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Michelle Welch Brasfield

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