Developing trusting relationships and reducing teacher burnout are two pressing issues that principals and superintendents confront on a daily basis in public schools. With the increasing demands of state mandated testing, No Child Left Behind, and improving standards for all students, principals and superintendents need to understand the relationship between the factors that influence student performance and a positive learning environment. The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher trust in the principal and teacher burnout as identified by teachers in selected Texas public schools. In this study, a cross-tabulation of teacher burnout by teacher trust in the principal indicated a moderate to strong association between the two variables. The Pearson product-moment correlation produced a strong, positive correlation of 0.61 (p<0.01) between teacher trust in the principal and teacher burnout. In addition, teachers who indicated low trust in the principal are about 28 percent more likely to experience high teacher burnout. In fact, out of the 315 teachers who completed this survey, not one teacher who reported high teacher trust in the principal scored high on teacher burnout. Next, the researcher explored how selected demographic variables influenced the teacher trust-burnout relationship. According to this study, the number of years that the teacher has worked with the principal has a strong influence on the teacher trust-burnout relationship, and the teacher’s age and the teacher’s experience have a moderate effect. In addition, teacher gender appears to have a slight effect on the teacher trust-burnout relationship, and principal gender, principal age, and principal race appear to not affect the teacher trust-burnout relationship at all. The researcher was unable to draw any conclusions on the influence of teacher race on the teacher trust-burnout relationship due to the small number of African American, Hispanic, Asian, and other race teacher respondents. Finally, the multivariate regression analysis suggested that teacher trust in the principal and the demographic variables in this study account for nearly 40 percent of the variance for teacher burnout. The results of this study suggest that principals must focus on developing trusting relationships with their teachers to reduce teacher burnout.

Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Educational research has examined factors contributing to teachers' burnout symptoms, including their perceptions of student behaviors (Ingersoll, 2003). Interestingly, teacher and students' races have been differentially related to teachers' perceptions of student behavior (Downey and Pribesh, 2004); this disparity in perceptions has been associated with teachers making more negative recommendations for African American students than for White students (Tenenbaum and Ruck, 2007). However, racial categories are not psychological constructs and offer little room for designing interventions to restructure teachers' perceptions of student behavior as a strategy to prevent teacher burnout. Since most teachers are White, using Helms's (1995) White racial identity model could offer a conceptual framework for examining different perspectives by which teachers understand their students' racial dynamics, which in turn, might affect how teachers feel, think, and act. Thus, if teachers' racial identity relates to their burnout symptoms, perceptions of student behavior, and recommendations, educational researchers could investigate more effective means of preventing teacher burnout symptoms and affect teachers' reactions to racially diverse students. White teachers (N = 237) completed an on-line survey containing an abbreviated White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale (Helms, 2011), behavior subscales of the Conners' Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale - Teacher Form (Conners, 2008), Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators' Survey (Maslach, Jackson, and Leiter, 1996), two teacher recommendations measures, and a demographic questionnaire. Results from Multivariate Analyses of Covariance suggested that teachers did not react differently to students' ethnic names or pictures with respect to their perceptions of students' behavior or teachers' likelihood of using specific recommendations. However, canonical correlations suggested that teachers' levels of burnout symptoms were related to their perceptions of students' Defiant Aggressive and Conduct Disorder symptoms. Moreover, teachers' biased and confused racial identity perspectives were strongly positively related to teachers' (a) burnout symptoms; (b) perceptions of angry, argumentative, and defiant behaviors; and (c) likelihood of using negative behavior management strategies with their students. Discussion included recommendations for educational training programs, methodological limitations, and implications of the results. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

School violence is considered the most significant problem facing United States schools (Elam, Rose, & Gallup, 1999, 2003, 2004). Although school shootings receive the bulk of media attention, incidents such as physical assaults, property crimes, intimidation, and sexual harassment are much more common (National Center for Education Statistics, 2004). In addition, little is known about the experiences of teachers. The present study examines the relationship between various types of school violence and teacher burnout. The final sample consisted of 315 high school teachers who returned surveys that assessed knowledge of direct and indirect experiences with violent acts at school over the past 12 months. Respondents also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses was used to determine how much variance in three domains of professional burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) was accounted for by direct and indirect experiences with violence. Results suggest 1) that teachers experience and witness a broad range of violent acts (particularly sexual harassment) in their workplaces, and 2) that direct and indirect exposure to both physical and psychological forms of violence resulted in higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Implications are discussed.

It has been hypothesized that negative emotions, left unresolved, contribute to feelings of burnout experienced by teachers. Self-compassion offers a kind, mindful way of approaching difficult emotions. The purpose of this study is to explore how teachers experience self-compassion by qualitative means. In semi-structured interviews, four elementary school teachers shared critical incidents of self-doubt or disappointment in their teaching. They also completed Neff's (2003a) Self Compassion Survey. Through intra-case and cross case analysis the findings revealed how teachers' lived experiences include episodes of conflict, reflection, resolution, and self-compassion, but in differing orders. Also, participants experienced self-compassion in ways that align with previous work on self-compassion, however an additional element of support seeking emerged. This study provided a context to understand the common ways in which self-compassion was lived out in the classroom while highlighting the differences in participants' experiences. This additional insight into the lived experience of the teachers adds to the body of knowledge regarding emotionality in the classroom and positive ways that teachers can and do regulate emotion through self-compassion. Additionally, participants' drive to seek support from others exposed a social side of self-compassion that Neff's (2003a) definition or a simple dictionary definition did not include.

Professional burnout refers to the development of negative emotions, cynical thoughts, and physical and mental exhaustion as a response to stressors associated with one’s career. Within the teaching profession, professional burnout has been associated with an increase in teacher attrition. In an effort to promote a positive school environment where teachers feel supported and committed to the profession, many administrators have implemented structured collaborative opportunities within their buildings. While personal relationships within the school network can provide a mitigating effect against professional burnout, the possibility exists that teacher leaders can be overcentralized and negatively impacted by the maintained relationships. By potentially forcing centralization on critical team members and emphasizing them as the “go-to” person for collaboration, schools may be inadvertently putting their best at risk for burnout. Using a mixed-methods design, the following study investigates the perceived benefits and constraints of centrality within the school network on reported burnout. The social networks at four elementary schools were analyzed to determine the level of connectivity for each certified staff member. Participants were asked to identify the colleagues with whom they collaborate. Using Social Network Analysis, the level of centrality (as measured by number of network connections both received and directed) was calculated for each participant based on number of network ties both received and directed. Centrality scores were included with previously identified variables associated with teacher burnout including level of perceived stress, perception of school environment, principal support, and other demographic data in a series of hypothesis tests to assess the relationship between network connectivity and reported burnout. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with a selection of participants to further explore the impact of network connections on participant burnout. The results of this exploratory study found that not all collegial relationships are beneficial. A significant positive relationship between number of collaborative ties directed toward a teacher and their depersonalization score on the Maslach Burnout Inventory was identified, indicating that individuals who are frequently identified as a collaborator report higher burnout. The findings from this study produce a unique perspective on collaboration within the school network. As has been reported previously, level of connectivity within the school network as measured by the number of teachers one can identify as collaborators appears to mitigate (or not significantly increase) a teacher’s risk of professional burnout. However, being identified as a collaborator by a large number of teachers (in-degree) significantly increases one’s risk for depersonalization behaviors.

abstract: Student behavior problems continue to be a nationwide concern, despite decades of practice with a myriad of disciplinary systems. Students who frequently engage in problematic behaviors are at-risk for a variety of negative life outcomes. School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based system of school-wide reinforcement and disciplinary procedures that relies on a problem-solving model from a systems perspective. Research based on the implementation of PBIS in schools has found positive effects pertaining to decreases in problem behaviors, increases in academics and attendance, and improved school safety and staff satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of PBIS systems change at varying years of implementation in three middle schools using a cross-sectional design on student outcome variables including office discipline referrals, major disciplinary actions, attendance rates, and academic achievement, along with school climate factors related to teacher burnout. Analysis of variance, non-parametric analysis of variance, and visual analyses were used to evaluate the effects of PBIS at varying years of PBIS implementation. The number of ODRs and major disciplinary decisions issued were greatly decreased with each year of PBIS implementation. Analyses of student academic performance and attendance varied by school and level of PBIS implementation and appeared to be influenced by additional variables, such as socioeconomic status. The length of PBIS implementation was associated with lower teacher ratings of emotional exhaustion and higher school climate ratings. Implications for research and educational practice are addressed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Psychology 2014

This study aimed to translate the Norwegian teacher self-efficacy scale (NTSES; Skaalvik &amp; Skaalvik, 2007) and explore its validity and factor structure in a sample of 256 Swedish teachers. The ties between teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout and self-efficacy and teacher well-being were also investigated. The results showed that the Swedish version of the NTSES had good internal consistency and adequate concurrent and convergent validity. However, results from a confirmatory factor analysis and two exploratory factor analyses did not support a factor structure equivalent to the original NTSES. The Swedish version of the NTSES might need some adjustments in translation and even consideration regarding removal of some items before it can truly be of use in a Swedish context.

Teacher burnout is not a new problem; however, with increasing frequency, teacher burnout leads to teacher attrition. Teacher burnout is a problem that affects school districts nationwide because of the financial and academic toll it has on education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teacher burnout, its perceived causes, and its effects in an urban high school in the northeastern United States. The conceptual framework was based on Vygotsky's social development theory. The research questions focused on factors that contribute to teacher burnout and teachers' perceptions of the ways in which their burnout affected instruction as well as their interactions with parents, colleagues, and administrators. The data collection method was based on in-depth interviews with 5 high school teachers who experienced burnout. The interview data were analyzed and color-coded to identify recurring themes and patterns. An individual narrative was developed for each of the 5 teachers followed by a cross-case analysis of the data. Major findings suggest that teacher burnout may result from several factors such as educational mandates, classroom discipline issues; it affects classroom instruction and impacts interaction with all educational stakeholders. The study's implications for positive social change are rooted in identifying and eliminating the factors that contribute to teacher burnout in order to retain highly qualified and motivated teachers who will provide students with consistent, high-quality, equal educational opportunities that help them reach their full academic potential.

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