This dissertation study reports on a survey of teacher wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an ecological, strengths-based adaptation to Herman and colleagues’ (2020) 3C model for teacher wellbeing, the current study examined teachers’ contexts, working conditions supporting their feelings of competence, and coping (i.e., positive emotional state). Measures included the Measure of Stressors and Supports for Teachers (MOST) and COVID-19-specific measures created by the research team. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) What profiles emerge from teachers’ ratings of their context and competence? (2) Do these profiles of context and competence predict teachers’ abilities to cope, as measured by their positive emotional state? I hypothesized that four profiles would emerge: high context-high competence, low context-low competence, high context-low competence, and low context-high competence and that these profiles would be predictive of teachers’ emotional states. Using latent profile analysis, I found that the best-fitting solution had three profiles with high, medium, or low scores across all measures. A four-profile solution is also discussed. I discuss the findings and future research directions aimed at promoting teacher well-being in schools. / School Psychology

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Research indicates that Kentucky agricultural educators are overworked and experience job related stress. Balancing work and home can be a struggle and stress induces burnout and teacher attrition. Shortages in the agriculture classroom could result in loss of agricultural education programs and negatively affect the profession. The purpose of this study was to 1) describe the demographics of Kentucky high school agricultural educators; 2) describe the work and home life balance for Kentucky agricultural educators; 3) determine the level of job satisfaction among Kentucky agricultural educators; 4) determine the perceived busiest time of the school year for Kentucky agricultural educators. The study was conducted on a census of the 2015-2016 Kentucky agriculture teacher directory and the survey was distributed online. Results indicate that agricultural educators work 52 hours per week, can balance work and home responsibilities with assistance from spouse/partner and experience job related stress on a regular basis. It was concluded that Kentucky agricultural teachers are satisfied with their job, but stressed about meeting the needs of work and family balance based on barriers including FFA activities, nightly meetings, childcare and time with spouse/partner.

This study was conducted to examine professional development techniques for training special education teachers to implement discrete trial training with in the classroom environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if professional development regarding discrete trail training increases the fidelity with which teachers implement discrete trail training when providing instruction to students with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, the study noted if professional development that included coaching in the classroom increased the fidelity with which teachers were able to implement discrete trail training. Further, this study examined the correlation between an improvement in the fidelity with which teachers implemented discrete trail training and positive student outcomes. Six studies were included in the present study. These studies found that following an initial presentation of information regarding discrete trail training with in the classroom coaching leads to an increase in teachers’ ability to implement discrete trail training with fidelity. An increase in teacher fidelity was found to correlate positively to an increase in positive student outcomes such as increased student learning and decreased negative student behaviors. The impact these improvements in teacher and student outcomes stand to have on issues such as teacher burnout, attrition, and self-efficacy are also discussed.

This diploma thesis is theoretically-empirical. The theoretical part provides us with information about stress and burnout syndrome obtained on the basis of study of relevant literature. It defines the basic concepts of stress and burnout syndrome and introduces us to their basic characteristics. In the second empirical part is the rate and frequency of burnout staff is determined on the basis of a questionnaire survey in the sample of pedagogical staff. As a partical part targeted interviews with selected teachers are used as a complementary method.

This qualitative case study addressed the impact of administration and school leadership on teachers who encounter burnout. The purpose of this project study was to examine this phenomenon through the experiences of Grades 9-12 classroom teachers, which ultimately could reduce the amount of early retirees, reduce the amount of illnesses among teachers, and increase the enthusiasm and vitality of educators. The conceptual framework was based on Bandura's social learning theory. Interview data were collected from four high school educators using purposive sampling, through semi structured face-to-face inter-views, and were coded using a line-by-line content analysis for emergent themes. Findings included positive and negative experiences of teacher burnout, the encounter of change and flexibility, and the importance of professional collaboration. Through the findings of this study, teachers are encouraged to engage in direct coping strategies such as improving class management skills to help with a positive workday. Indirect coping strategies include participation in sports activities outside school hours. Strategies are offered for administrators to support teachers on fostering empathy, relationship building, and communication. The outcomes are beneficial to local school and district administrators to support a positive working environment for teachers in which all students can learn. Positive social change at the local level includes senior district administrators making decisions on the allocation of human and capital resources to help burned out teachers.

With the aim of extending prior findings to a new population, the present study, used quantitative research design methodologies to examine the possible correlations between job burnout of kindergarten teachers in Shanghai and their personality traits as well as their demographic characteristics. An online survey was completed by 140 full-time kindergarten teachers in Yangpu District, Shanghai, who reported their demographic information, perceived burnout levels as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Educators Survey (MBI-ES)(Maslach, Jackson &Schwab, 1996), and personality factors measured by the NEO Five Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1989). The demographic variables that were found to be correlated with the burnout level of kindergarten teachers in Shanghaiwere age, teaching experience and educational background. The results of this study indicated that teachers with more years of teaching experience were more likely to experience higher levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Compared with older teachers in kindergarten, younger teachers in Shanghai were found to be more at risk for emotional exhaustion. This study also provided strong evidence to support that those teachers who have a bachelor degree or above tended to feel more accomplished in their work. Marital status and the type of school were not related to burnout of kindergarten teachers in Shanghai. As for personality factors, there was an association between the NEO Five Factor Inventory scales of neuroticism, agreeableness,and openness and the MBI-ES burnout dimensions.Kindergarten teachers in Shanghai who scored higher in neuroticism reported feeling more emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and feeling less personal accomplishment. Kindergarten teachers in Shanghai who scored higher score in agreeableness reported feeling less emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Kindergarten teachers in Shanghai who scored higher in openness to experience reported feeling less depersonalization and more personal accomplishment. The identification of individual types that are more susceptible to burnout hopefully would render practical values to both the employees and the administrators in Shanghai kindergartens.For those who have the intention of working as kindergarten teachers, knowing the possible correlations between individual traits and job burnout could tell them whether they might experience burnout if they choose this profession and whether such a decision is reasonable for their personality. As to administrators, they are able to recognize exhausted employees based on their individual characteristics and offer in time coping strategies that might protect these kindergarten teachers from burnout.

The purpose of this research study was to explore the symptoms of compassion fatigue as experienced by teachers in grades 9-12 during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the research on the effects of compassion fatigue on educators is relatively sparse, the literature regarding compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious trauma in other helping professions revealed a 12-symptom framework. Data collection strategies included individual virtual interviews and field notes. Analysis of data occurred in four phases: (a) analyzing transcripts and identifying themes, (b) categorization of data under the 12 symptoms of compassion fatigue, (c) building the explanation in narrative form, and (d) re-examination of the data. The triangulation of data protected the credibility of the analysis through multiple interview sources and member checking. The results revealed that the physical, emotional, professional, and personal experiences described in the teacher interviews exemplified the 12 established symptoms of compassion fatigue. The results suggested that concern for student experiences during the pandemic combined with other contributing factors to manifest a variety of individual symptoms in participants. The most common contributing factors for participants included concerns for the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of students, student academic issues, feelings of being overwhelmed/overloaded at work, and anger and frustration with the school administration and the school system. The themes that emerged from the data analysis indicate that the most common manifested symptoms include lack of sleep, stress and anxiety, thoughts of leaving the teaching profession, and disconnection from family and friends.

The primary aim of this study was to ascertain whether teacher burnout is accompanied by physiological, psychological and behavioural symptoms. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to ascertain the levels of burnout among a sample of 282 Indian teachers of all ranks in ex - House of Delegates schools in the Kwazulu - Natal region. The Burnout Manifestations Scale was used to elicit those symptoms which burned out subjects exhibited the most. While 23 % of the sample appeared vulnerable to burnout, 7% appeared to be already burned out. It was found that with a few exceptions, the sample was susceptible to a lesser or greater degree to almost all of the symptoms listed in the Burnout Manifestations Scale. As no significant differences between the groups was detected in the selected demographic variables, it can be concluded that anyone, irrespective of their sex, marital status or any other variable, can become vulnerable to burnout. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure K-12 teacher demoralization. An increasing body of literature has labeled modern education policies as having a demoralizing effect on teachers (Darling-Hammond & Rustique-Forrester, 2002; Noddings, 2004; Ryan & Brown, 2005; Nichols & Berliner, 2007; Santoro, 2011; Hargreaves, Braun, & Gebhardt, 2013). Teacher demoralization has been defined as a teacher’s “inability to access the moral rewards of teaching” (Santoro, 2011, p. 3). Data was collected from a population of K-12 educators through cognitive interviews (n=6) and a large scale data collection analyzed with a principal component analysis (n=430) in an effort to determine which constructs should be included in the measurement of teacher demoralization. Feedback on the survey instrument was incorporated in an iterative process at each stage of data collection. Results revealed that the theory of teacher demoralization should include two factors: teacher dispositions and feelings of demoralization. The current study failed to find strong evidence of convergent validity with teacher burnout and self-determination need thwarting; however, results suggest that emotional exhaustion and autonomy need thwarting are moderately related to teacher demoralization. Evidence of discriminant validity in relation to teacher self-efficacy was found; however, other discriminant validity evidence was inconclusive. This study extends the literature by providing the first attempt to measure the phenomenon of teacher demoralization. Future studies should continue to refine the instrument of teacher demoralization, and can use this instrument as one way to examine the impact of policy on teachers.