The phenomenon of professional burnout in teachers: its nature and manifestations

Introduction. One of the tools for enhancing the quality of education is the improvement of personnel policies. The professional activities of teachers are consistently associated with high emotional stress, which serves as a predictor of professional burnout. Given the shortage of teachers, teaching staff, and school leaders in the country, the issue of retaining existing personnel, creating a favourable professional environment for work and career development, identifying risk factors, and preventing the onset of professional burnout and occupational maladjustment becomes increasingly urgent. It is essential to diagnose emotional and professional burnout promptly in order to implement preventative programmes among teaching staff and avert the development of occupational maladjustment. Aim. The present study aimed to identify risk factors and assess the level of professional burnout among secondary school teachers. Methodology and research methods. The authors conducted the study using a specially developed questionnaire, which included a shortened version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory adapted into Russian by N. E. Vodopyanova, alongside questions assessing teachers’ professional activities to identify factors contributing to professional burnout. The study involved 1,863 respondents. The authors examined the prevalence and severity of professional burnout among teachers (n = 1,863), as well as the organisational factors contributing to professional burnout, analysed according to class, position, department, and years of work experience. Results. The study showed that 67.2% of teachers in general education organisations who participated in the study are susceptible to professional burnout. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of this study lies in identifying the risk factors for professional burnout among teachers in contemporary schools operating under new socio-economic conditions, as well as in determining the primary strategies for preventing professional burnout in teachers. Practical significance. The practical significance of this study lies in a detailed examination of the actual extent of professional burnout, using one region of the Russian Federation as a case study, and conducting an audit of professional burnout to inform the development of measures aimed at its prevention among teachers.

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