PERCEIVED CAUSES OF STRESS AND BURNOUT AS REPORTED BY
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS AT AN URBAN SCHOOL
Diana Michele Curtaz
B. A., California State University, Sacramento, 1997
THESIS
Submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTERS OF ARTS
in
EDUCATION
(Educational Leadership)
at
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
FALL
2009
PERCEIVED CAUSES OF STRESS AND BURNOUT AS REPORTED BY
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS AT AN URBAN SCHOOL
A Thesis
by
Diana Michele Curtaz
Approved by:
___________________________________________, Committee Chair
Dr. Virginia L. Dixon
___________________________________________, Second Reader
Dr. JoAnn K. Aguirre
______________________________________
Date
ii
Student: Diana Michele Curtaz
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University
format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to
be awarded for the thesis.
___________________________, Graduate Coordinator ________________________
Dr. Geni Cowan
Date
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
iii
Abstract
of
PERCEIVED CAUSES OF STRESS AND BURNOUT AS REPORTED BY
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS AT AN URBAN SCHOOL
by
Diana Michele Curtaz
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this research was to conduct a case study of elementary teachers to
understand their perceptions on the causes of burnout and their affects on student
achievement. This researcher undertook this study because she had witnessed how stress
affected her and her colleagues’ performance as well as her own. The study focused on
the following three questions:
1. What are teacher perceptions regarding stress and burnout in teaching?
2. What are teacher perceptions regarding the causes of stress and burnout
among teachers at Jack Smith Elementary School (pseudonym)?
3. What are the possible solutions to reduce or limit the symptoms of stress and
burnout in teaching at Jack Smith Elementary School?
Brief Literature Review
Many causes factor into why teachers become stressed and burned out on the job
prompting them to leave the field of education (Brock & Grady, 2000). Poor working
conditions, lack of support, self-doubt, and predisposed personality issues all contribute
iv
to the symptoms of burnout. If burnout is reached and symptoms are ignored, many
teachers leave the field.
Methodology
The data used for the study were collected from one elementary school in a large,
urban school district in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The researcher
obtained data for the study from staff surveys and interview responses. The data used to
develop this case study were collected from 16 elementary school (K-6) teachers by way
of a questionnaire. Six of those teachers also participated in a structured interview.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The findings of this study validate current research, indicating stress and burnout
are prevalent in the field of teaching. Teachers at Smith Elementary indicated feeling
stressed and having symptoms of burnout at one time or another in their careers. Future
research in the area of stress and burnout among teachers is recommended to examine the
current challenges in education. Furthermore, future research on techniques and strategies
to reduce stress in the workplace is recommended for both teachers and the
administration at Jack Smith Elementary School.
______________________, Committee Chair
Virginia L. Dixon, Ed.D.
______________________
Date
v
DEDICATION
I dedicate this thesis to my smart, beautiful nieces Sophia, Mia, and Zoe. You
inspire Auntie every day with your zest and joy for life. May you follow your dreams,
and always believe in yourselves. You will always have Auntie standing behind you
cheering you on throughout all of your adventures through life. I love you to outer space
and back!
vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Virginia Dixon, for your constant
encouragement and shared excitement throughout this endeavor. A special thank you
goes to Dr. JoAnn Aguirre for your inspiration, guidance, and support.
I would like to thank Bobby Sullivan for not only encouraging me to take on this
venture, but for also helping me throughout the entire process. Without your support, I
would have lost more sleep than I normally do!
I would like to thank my partner in crime, Christina Allison. I do not believe I
would have survived the last two years without you. The laughter and the support we
shared made all of the ups and downs much more bearable. Along with getting an
administrative credential and a Masters degree, I gained a life-long friend.
Thank you to all of my colleagues. Your support and encouragement meant the
world to me. I feel truly blessed to work with people I consider my friends.
Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for being my biggest
cheerleaders throughout this journey, as well as in all the other adventures I have taken
on in my life. The person I am today is because of each and every one of you. I love you
and cannot thank you enough for all of the love and support you have given me. I am
truly blessed.
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Dedication ......................................................................................................................... vi
Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... vii
List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xi
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
Background ............................................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................ 3
Definition of Terms................................................................................................. 3
Limitations of the Study.......................................................................................... 6
Significance/Importance of the Study ..................................................................... 7
Organization of the Remainder of the Project ........................................................ 7
2. REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE ........................................................... 8
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 8
Background ........................................................................................................... 11
Causes of Burnout ................................................................................................. 13
Lack of Support............................................................................................... 14
Administrative Support ................................................................................... 16
Professional Development .............................................................................. 18
Classroom Management.................................................................................. 19
Students ........................................................................................................... 20
Personality Traits .................................................................................................. 21
Teacher Self-Efficacy ........................................................................................... 23
New Teachers........................................................................................................ 25
Stages of Burnout .................................................................................................. 27
Emotional Exhaustion .................................................................................... 28
Depersonalization ........................................................................................... 28
Reduced Personal Accomplishment ............................................................... 28
viii
Solutions ............................................................................................................... 29
Rationale for the Study ......................................................................................... 31
Summary ............................................................................................................... 32
3. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 35
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 35
Population and Sample ......................................................................................... 35
School and District .......................................................................................... 35
Teachers .......................................................................................................... 37
Students ........................................................................................................... 38
Design of the Study............................................................................................... 38
Instrumentation ..................................................................................................... 39
Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 40
Data Analysis Procedures ..................................................................................... 42
4. DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ....................................................................... 43
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 43
Analysis of Teacher Survey .................................................................................. 43
Summary of Teacher Survey ................................................................................ 52
Analysis of Teacher Survey Open-Ended Item .................................................... 53
Analysis of Interviews .......................................................................................... 55
Respondent A .................................................................................................. 55
Respondent B .................................................................................................. 57
Respondent C .................................................................................................. 59
Respondent D .................................................................................................. 60
Respondent E .................................................................................................. 62
Respondent F .................................................................................................. 64
Summary of Interviews ......................................................................................... 66
5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................... 68
Summary ............................................................................................................... 68
Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 70
ix
Recommendations ................................................................................................. 73
Appendices ........................................................................................................................ 75
Appendix A. Cover Letter .............................................................................................. 76
Appendix B. Teacher Survey ......................................................................................... 78
Appendix C. Interview Items ......................................................................................... 80
References ......................................................................................................................... 82
x
LIST OF TABLES
Page
1.
Staff Responses to Survey Item One .................................................................... 44
2.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Two .................................................................... 45
3.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Three .................................................................. 45
4.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Four.................................................................... 46
5.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Five .................................................................... 47
6.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Six ...................................................................... 47
7.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Seven ................................................................. 48
8.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Eight .................................................................. 49
9.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Nine ................................................................... 49
10.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Ten ..................................................................... 50
11.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Eleven ................................................................ 50
12.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Twelve ............................................................... 51
13.
Staff Responses to Survey Item Thirteen.............................................................. 52
xi
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Background
Stress in teaching is an ongoing issue of concern for those involved in education.
Rhodes, Nevill and Allan (2004) stated that the retention of teachers is a complicated
issue because it encompasses such factors as commitment to teaching, job satisfaction,
teachers’ personal lives, and self confidence in the ability to do the job.
If stress becomes chronic, it can lead to burnout, which decreases teacher
effectiveness in the classroom and can lead to teachers leaving the field of education
altogether (Rhodes et al., 2004). Teacher burnout does not prompt only newer teachers to
leave the field of education. Teachers with varying levels of years of experience and
abilities are leaving as well (Brock & Grady, 2000). Experienced teachers are just as
susceptible or more so to chronic stress and burnout (Graham, 1999).
A lot is at stake for an individual inflicted with stress and symptoms of burnout. A
teacher’s health and well-being can be negatively affected on the job and outside of work
if the symptoms of burnout are not addressed at schools (Maslach & Leiter, 1997).
Furthermore, if the symptoms are ignored, they grow at a faster pace, which makes it
much easier for a teacher to reach burnout (Dunham, 1992). The condition of burnout
does not get better if ignored or not dealt with by those who are around the person
suffering from it (Freudenberger, 1980).
2
With stress, there is not one universal problem nor is there only one solution to
solve burnout among teachers. Not all stress and symptoms of burnout are caused by onthe-job factors. Stress can also be linked to a teacher’s personality (Kokkinos, 2007).
Some people are more susceptible to stress and are unable to properly cope with it when
stress arises during the workday or year.
Stress can also be induced by the working environment (Egyed & Short, 2006).
This includes and is not limited to classroom management, organization, time
management, and planning. Within the working environment, relationships with students,
parents, colleagues, and the administration can either hinder or exacerbate the levels of
stress felt by teachers. Teachers need to be acknowledged by the administration for the
work being done at school (Leithwood & Beatty, 2008). Additionally, trying to meet the
needs of all students with the everyday interruptions in the classroom can lead to stress
for teachers (Bindhu & Sudheeshkumar, 2006).
Once a teacher starts feeling the symptoms of burnout, the teacher begins the
stages of burnout (Brock & Grady, 2000). The first stage is emotional exhaustion. When
a teacher overextends oneself and can no longer handle the emotional demands of others,
emotional exhaustion has been reached (Maslach, 1982). Once emotional exhaustion has
set in, a teacher starts to detach and pull away from students, colleagues, and others one
works with on a day-to-day basis (Noushad, 2008). This is the act of depersonalization.
The final stage of burnout is reduced personal accomplishment. Teachers lose confidence
in the ability to perform the job expected (Maslach, 1982).
3
Burnout among those who work with people has been studied for many years.
There are a myriad of reasons teachers become stressed and let it get to the levels of
burnout. School personnel, especially administrators, need to be alert to what is
happening with the teachers on staff in order to prevent and reduce stress and burnout
among teachers.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this research was to conduct a case study of elementary teachers to
understand their perceptions on the causes of burnout and their affects on student
achievement. This researcher undertook this study because she had witnessed how stress
affected her and her colleagues’ performance. The study focused on the following three
questions:
1. What are teacher perceptions regarding stress and burnout in teaching?
2. What are teacher perceptions regarding the causes of stress and burnout
among teachers at Jack Smith Elementary School (pseudonym)?
3. What are the possible solutions to reduce or limit the symptoms of stress and
burnout in teaching at Jack Smith Elementary School?
Definition of Terms
Annual Performance Index (API): The cornerstone of California’s Public Schools
Accountability Act of 1999, which measures the academic performance and growth of
schools on a variety of measures (California Department of Education, 1999).
4
Annual Yearly Progress (AYP): A statewide accountability system mandated by
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which requires each state to ensure that all schools
and districts make Adequate Yearly Progress (California Department of Education,
2001c).
Attrition: The gradual reduction of a workforce by employees’ leaving and not
being replaced rather by their being laid off.
Burnout: Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.
California Standardized Test (CST): A California standardized test given to
second through eleventh grade students each school year to measure student achievement
in grade level standards in Language Arts, math, science, and social studies.
Depersonalization: A state in which one’s thoughts and feelings seem unreal or
not to belong to oneself, or in which one loses all sense of identity.
Emotional Exhaustion: Feelings of being emotionally overextended and a strong
reduction of one’s emotional resources.
Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT): A teacher must have at least a bachelors degree
from an accredited institution of higher education, hold full state certification and
demonstrate subject matter competence for each NCLB core academic subject they teach
(California Department of Education, 2001a).
High Priorities School Grant Program (HPSGP): Assists the lowest performing
schools in deciles one to five according to statewide 2000 Academic Performance Index
(API), to increase students’ achievement (California Department of Education, 2008).
Job Stressors: Any stress directly related to the job being performed.
5
Nell Soto Grant: A program designed to strengthen communication between
schools and parents as a means of improving academic achievement through home visits
and/or community meetings. The grant awards pay for teacher training and participation
in the home visit/community meeting program (California Department of Education,
2007).
No Child Left Behind (NCLB): A federal law pertaining to public education
passed under the George W. Bush administration. NCLB represents legislation which
attempts to accomplish standards-based education reform.
Personal Accomplishment: A person’s self-evaluation in relation to job
performance.
Personality: The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an
individual’s distinctive character.
Program Improvement (PI): All schools and local educational agencies (LEAs)
that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) are identified as PI under the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (California Department of Education, 2001c).
Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA): Assists the lowest performing schools
with a valid 2005 Academic Performance Index (API) that are ranked in deciles one to
two, to increase student achievement in California (California Department of Education,
2006).
Retention: The continued possession, use, or control of something, in this case of
teaching.
6
Self-Efficacy: How a teacher feels about the extent of one’s ability to succeed in
teaching children to learn (Ware & Kitsantas, 2007).
Standardized Tests: A test administered and scored in a consistent manner. The
tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring
procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a
predetermined, standard manner (Standardized Tests, en.wikipedia.org, 2006).
Stress: A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or
very demanding circumstances.
Supplementary Educational Services (SES): Additional academic instruction
provided outside the regular school day and designed to increase the academic
achievement of students attending schools in Program Improvement Years two through
five (California Department of Education, 2001b).
Limitations of the Study
This study was limited to the teachers at Jack Smith Elementary School. Since
there was only one elementary school with a small sample of teachers examined for the
study, the results may not necessarily apply to other school sites with similar
characteristics. The researcher herself is a teacher at the school and could possibly be
biased. There was one male teacher on staff at Smith Elementary. The only teachers who
volunteered and participated in interviews were women. Furthermore, the results are not
necessarily generalizable to other elementary schools within this district.
7
Significance/Importance of the Study
This study has been selected because teacher stress and burnout can result in
teachers losing their effectiveness in the classroom with students, or result in teachers
leaving the field of education. Stress and burnout does not discriminate between good and
bad teachers. It hits most teachers at one time or another during one’s career (Brock &
Grady, 2000). It is important for school colleagues and particularly administrators to
empower teachers to overcome and persevere through the stress and stay in teaching.
There is a need to learn how to help teachers to cope with the every day stressors that
come with the job of teaching today’s students.
Organization of the Remainder of the Project
This thesis is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction of the
study, which includes: the background, the statement of the problem, definition of terms,
the limitations, and the significance of the study. Chapter 2 consists of a review of recent
literature focused on the causes of stress and burnout among teachers. Chapter 3 contains
the methods and procedures used for the current study. Chapter 4 presents the results and
analysis of the data collected in the study. Chapter 5 provides a summary, conclusions
and recommendations for further study.
8
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Stress is widespread throughout the profession of teaching (Geving, 2007). Brock
and Grady (2000) stated, “Burnout cannot be attributed to a single cause; rather, the cause
is multifaceted and complex” (p. 27). There is not just one factor that leads to stress and
burnout in the classroom. Furthermore, Noushad (2008) stated that the evidence from
prior research shows burnout does not happen quickly or immediately after a stressful
situation, but rather stress happens over time. Maslach and Leiter (1997) stated, “It is a
malady that spreads gradually and continuously over time, putting people into a
downward spiral from which it’s hard to recover” (p. 17).
Additionally, stress takes both a physical and psychological toll on the individual
experiencing it in high levels (Sorenson, 2007). Changes in a person’s physical wellbeing relates to increased illness, possible weight loss or weight gain, or more serious
health conditions that would need medical assistance. The psychological issues pertain to
a negative change in attitude, anxiety, being worried or stressed, to a name a few.
When researching teacher stress and burnout, not only does what happens in the
classroom affect a teacher, but also the events in one’s personal life can either aid or
exacerbate the stress (Brock & Grady, 2000). Many aspects of a teacher’s life and job can
result in stress. Teachers go into teaching and stay in the field for extrinsic and intrinsic
reasons such as the desire to work with children, work schedules, and salary (Rhodes et
9
al., 2004). Teachers just as easily can leave the field when the extrinsic and intrinsic
reasons are not being met.
If burnout is not addressed, it can and will affect a teacher’s health, well-being,
and life outside of work (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). Furthermore, Sorenson (2007) stated:
“…the phenomenon known as stress, with its constraints, demands, pressures, and
anxieties, creates symptoms that have been found to range from low productivity, to
increased absenteeism, to high employee turnover rates, to serious health concerns” (p.
10).
Stress and burnout not only impacts the individual, but also has an immense
influence on the entire organization (Jepson & Forrest, 2006). When a teacher has
reached burnout, his/her job performance level has been lowered and he/she is no longer
doing a “good” job compared to other individuals who are not affected (Maslach, 1982).
When a teacher’s performance level is lowered, it is possible to affect his/her students’
level of performance and overall achievement.
Each school and teacher has its unique challenges, which cannot be mended with
one solution (Brock & Grady, 2000). However, burnout can be linked to a teacher’s
current teaching environment (Egyed & Short, 2006), and thus be lessened if the
environment is changed. Botwinik (2007) also pointed out, “The emphasis on testing and
standards as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act, family responsibilities, the need to
pursue education, low salaries, and poor working conditions take their toll” (p. 271).
As noted above, stress can be caused from one particular element or be a combination of
many. Overall job satisfaction is when a teacher is satisfied about all aspects of the job
10
(Hongying, 2007). If a teacher is not satisfied with one portion of the job, stress can start
to form. Stress does not need to lead to burnout, but if one is continuously exposed to it,
burnout can occur (Jepson & Forrest, 2006). Yong and Yue (2007) stated, “Teacher stress
and burnout affect the school’s study climate, lower morale, prevent the attainment of
educational objectives, and increase the probability of teachers leaving their teaching
posts” (p. 79).
As cited in research, teachers are exposed to many different sources of stress
(Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). Teacher self-efficacy, personality traits, and job stressors
are three major areas of concern facing teacher stress and burnout.
The link between teacher self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, and personal accomplishment was explored in the literature. An
individual teacher who feels emotionally exhausted from stress can pull away from
relationships with students and colleagues, and then devalue the work that has been
completed (Kokkinos, 2007). Once a teacher’s energy has turned to exhaustion, a teacher
has detached from students, and a lack of personal accomplishment exists, thus, a teacher
can more than likely reach burnout (Brock & Grady, 2000).
The literature also examined personality traits of teachers and linked particular
personality traits in relation to how certain types of people would handle stress. Knowing
this information could help to prevent unneeded stress for those who are prone to react
negatively to it. Kokkinos (2007) stated, “Since it is well documented that certain
personality characteristics would predispose people to cope in certain ways when they
confront adversity, one could easily trace possible ways in dealing with burnout among
11
teachers by examining what coping responses they use to deal with work-related stress”
(p. 240).
However, teachers are not given personality tests before entering the workplace.
Principals cannot change the personalities of teachers who are predisposed to burnout
(Brock & Grady, 2000). But, principals can provide support in order to assist with
teachers being able to better cope with the stress encountered on the job.
Another link to teacher stress in the classroom is the everyday occurrences, which
can lead to burnout. Among these are disruptive students, poor working conditions,
working relationships with colleagues, job satisfaction, and time management to name a
few (Betoret, 2006). Recurring problems with student discipline, student apathy, lack of
achievement, and teacher disrespect from students can also have a negative effect on
teachers and contribute to burnout (Brock & Grady, 2000).
Background
Stress and burnout among teachers has been studied and reviewed for many years.
In the research, Freudenberger (1974) was the first to term the phrase “burnout” when
looking at people in public service jobs who were mentally and physically exhausted due
to long hours, heavy workloads, and extreme intensity at work (as cited in Yong & Yue,
2007). Freudenberger’s (1980) definition of burnout is “someone in the state of fatigue or
frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to
produce the expected reward” (p. 13). Maslach and Leiter (1997) further stated,
“Frustration and anger are the emotional hallmarks of burnout” (p. 27). If teachers ignore
12
the symptoms of burnout, the symptoms grow and then it is much easier for burnout to be
reached (Dunham, 1992). Maslach (1982) took the definition of burnout further and
stated, “Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced
personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do ‘people work’ of
some kind” (p. 3).
Burnout affects people who work in jobs with a focus on helping others, and has
three phases: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal
accomplishment. Most teaching jobs involve building emotional relationships with
colleagues and students and parents, which can be demanding on a teacher’s emotions
(Tomic & Tomic, 2008).
Burnout can affect how a person views one’s job. If not treated, stress over a
prolonged period of time can cause burnout at work (Yong & Yue, 2007). Furthermore,
most teachers start the profession with enthusiasm, but over time can start to become
overwhelmed and exhausted leading to the first phase of burnout: emotional exhaustion
(Tomic & Tomic, 2008).
Stress and burnout can affect all parts of a teacher’s life, and also those who come
into contact with the affected party. Bindhu and Sudheeshkumar (2006) stated, “Stress
affects both physical and emotional well-being of an individual” (p. 1). Burnout can lead
to being tired and run down physically, which can give rise to longer illnesses,
headaches, fatigue, and many other health issues for the affected individual (Maslach,
1982). Furthermore, teachers, schools, and especially the students, are negatively affected
by burnout (Leithwood & Beatty, 2008). Burnout does affect the overall organization’s
13
performance, and can lead to loss of productivity (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). In education,
the loss of productivity affects the education of children.
Causes of Burnout
Many parts of a teacher’s day or job can become stressful; if this is not identified
and dealt with it can lead to burnout. The teachers high at risk for burnout are the ones
identified as the most dedicated and devoted to their job (Brock & Grady, 2000). It is
usually not the under-achievers or average performing people who are susceptible to
burnout, but rather the ones who want everything one does to be the “best” or better than
what others are able to achieve (Freudenberger, 1980). Furthermore, the longer a teacher
has been in the field of teaching, the more apt they are to experience burnout over
beginning teachers (Graham, 1999). The more a teacher is in the profession, the more one
usually takes on added responsibility at the school.
Negative effects of stress and burnout of teachers, not only can have an impact on
the individual, but also on the organization as a whole (Yong & Yue, 2007). Everyone at
the site is affected by the burnout of teachers: administration, parents, support staff, other
teachers, and especially the students. It is important for each individual to recognize the
emotional and physical reactions to stress, and work to better manage and cope with the
symptoms of stress throughout the workday, school year, and career in education
(Dunham, 1992). Maslach and Leiter (1997) further argued, “As a result of intensive
study, we believe that burnout is a not a problem of the people themselves but of the
social environment in which people work” (p. 18). Stress and burnout affect the
14
organization, but the stress by teachers is caused by the work surroundings. In a sense, it
becomes a cycle that needs to be stopped.
Today, in the classroom, it can become easy for a teacher to get overstressed and
want to leave the profession of education (Botwinik, 2007). There are many different job
stressors that can cause a teacher to feel stressed. It can be one stressor or a combination
of many that may lead to teacher stress and burnout. Some of the stressors are in the
control of the administrator to alleviate, while others are not, such as the legislation of No
Child Left Behind (NCLB). It is not in the power of the teacher, principal, or other
district administrators to change what has been put into law. In addition, it is hard for
teachers to meet demanding expectations when the resources are not available
(Kelchtermans & Strittmatter, 1999). Leaders must distinguish between what is and is not
under their control to alter. Some stressors can be reduced or prevented with the
assistance of administration (Leithwood & Beatty, 2008). Any one of the following
stressors, or a combination of them, can lead to teacher stress and burnout. Classroom
management, student behavior, lack of support from colleagues and administration, time
management, are among the compelling ones.
Lack of Support
Lack of support has been a recurring theme in teacher stress and burnout.
Starnaman and Miller (1992) stated, “Teachers who have frequent positive contacts and
who have established rapport with the principal report less role stress and have increased
satisfaction with their work” (as cited in Brock & Grady, 2000).
15
Recruiting and keeping quality teachers at schools should be one of the most
important agenda items for all school leaders (Darling-Hammond, 2003). Additionally,
one of the first objectives of educational leaders should be to help maintain teachers’
well-being during each school day and the school year (Maslach & Leiter, 1999).
Support needs to happen at both the school and district level. Along with students,
staff members also need a supportive, safe, and nurturing environment to successfully
perform at top levels (Heller, 2004). By creating a supportive working environment, it
can help to reduce the stress levels of teachers (Bindhu & Sudheeshkumar, 2006).
Although support from administration is important in decreasing stress, the
support from friends and colleagues on staff can also play an important role in
minimizing stressful situations for teachers at work (Dunham, 1992). Furthermore, it is
important for administrators to include parents in a school’s everyday work, in order to
build stronger parent/teacher relationships (Brock & Grady, 2000). The more positive
relationships built for teachers, the less stress one will feel.
Teachers cannot be forgotten when creating an environment that promotes
learning. Yong and Yue (2007) further emphasized, “When teachers accomplish
something, students, parents, administrators, or colleagues seldom acknowledge it or give
praise” (p. 82). Teachers want and need to know they are being recognized for doing a
good job. Furthermore, teachers show more resilience when it is perceived that the
administration not only values and supports them, but also has each individual’s personal
interests in mind (Margolis & Nagel, 2006). Without positive acknowledgement, teachers
16
are less apt to continue to work as hard because of a loss of pride from not being valued
by students, parents, peers, and administration (Maslach & Leiter, 1997).
Administrative Support
Principals, in particular, can nurture or exasperate teacher stress by whether or not
the proper assistance is given to meet the needs of each individual. Working conditions at
schools and how teachers are feeling about their jobs are strongly linked to the role of the
principal (Leithwood & Beatty, 2008). Ultimately, it is the goal of the principal to create
a school environment that supports a learning community that is satisfying to both
students and teachers (Brock & Grady, 2000). If an administrator focuses only on
students, s/he is missing an important key to student success: teachers who are not
stressed or experiencing symptoms of burnout are better meeting the needs of the
students. Bindhu and Sudheeshkumar (2006) emphasized, “…the welfare of the teacher
should be of supreme concern to the school authorities” (p. 7).
Administrators have the power to influence the climate of the school and in doing
so, can motivate and positively impact teachers’ working situations (Rhodes et al., 2004).
Leithwood and Beatty (2008) stated, “Leaders are emotionally significant ‘others’ in
teachers’ lives and affect a large part of teachers’ disposition to be open to new ideas and
new practices” (p. 99).
Administrators have a powerful role in teacher satisfaction. At the same time,
principals can have the opposite affect on teachers and staff, so it is important to
distinguish between positive and negative support. Leaders can be driven to develop a
school environment that focuses on raising student achievement, however, if they set
17
unrealistic goals and are too demanding on their employees, the opposite may occur
(Sorenson, 2007). The wrong kind of pressure can lead to more stress, which then can
lead to burnout.
Principals need to encourage and guide teachers, new and experienced, to the
development of a shared vision and goals. Ingersoll (2001) stated, “Data suggests that
improving teaching conditions such as administrative support and input on decision
making will increase teacher retention” (as cited in Ware & Kitsantas, 2007, p. 309).
Furthermore, from multiple studies, Leithwood and Beatty (2008) identified that giving
teachers a role in the school’s decision-making process, reduces stress in teachers’ jobs.
School administrators who are able to acknowledge the perspectives and
experiences of their teachers will have more satisfied employees throughout the year
(Margolis & Nagel, 2006). Teachers are encouraged and more willing to adapt or develop
their teaching strategies when teachers’ talents and works are acknowledged (Leithwood
& Beatty, 2008).
Additionally, principals should be aware of the possibilities of burnout, and be
able to assess teachers’ levels of burnout and implement some preventative measures at
the school site level (Brock & Grady, 2000). Maslach and Leiter (1997) further stated,
“…effective responses to burnout must involve prevention rather than just treatment” (p.
22). Relieving burnout is more effective when there have been preventative measures put
in place to stop burnout from occurring.
An administration’s support of teachers can lead to less stress and higher retention
rates of teachers. The need for acknowledgment from administration should occur in
18
personal relationships and in building staff development to further build on teachers’
needs (Margolis & Nagel, 2006). Principals must recognize that the leadership role held
is a powerful one, and it goes beyond just educating the students.
How an administrator decides to lead his/her teachers can have a major impact on
the success of educating each student at a school site. Bateman (2008) believed
leadership should be focused on what a leader is able to accomplish, not whether the
individual has a charismatic personality. Leaders need to be aware of the problem, but
they need to take action to solve the problem. Bateman (2008) further explained
“Managers seeking to be competent and respected leaders can benefit from working on
their personal style and interpersonal relationships, but a focus on problem-solving for
performance will close the deal” (p. 310). In order to be successful leaders, individuals
must be successful problem solvers.
Professional Development
Support also comes in the form of professional development. It offers more
opportunity for teachers to strengthen their teaching skills and can result in stronger job
satisfaction, thereby increasing retention in the profession (Rhodes et al., 2004). Teachers
need to be given the chance to work on their craft and the training they attend must be
relevant to the individual based on necessity. For example, if a teacher is struggling with
classroom management, there should be opportunity for additional training to assist in the
individual teacher’s needs.
Brock and Grady (2000) emphasized that teacher development does not stop after
a teacher’s pre-service education is completed. Teachers new and experienced should
19
have ample opportunities to work on areas of need. Additionally, Kelchtermans and
Strittmatter (1999) highlighted, “…future teachers should be supported to develop
attitudes and skills for lifelong professional learning” (p. 308). Through continued staff
development, teachers should acquire new knowledge, learn a new skill, and be
intellectually stimulated and challenged (Brock & Grady, 2000). Continuing to expand
one’s knowledge is an important key to lessening teacher stress and burnout.
Classroom Management
Classroom management is another aspect of a teacher’s day that can cause undo
stress and lead to burnout if not combated early on in one’s career. Student misbehavior
is one of the most common factors reported as a major contributor to teacher stress
(Geving, 2007). This falls under the umbrella of all that goes on in a teacher’s classroom
during a teaching day: student engagement, student apathy, lack of respect towards the
adult and other children in the room, students showing up to class unprepared, and
negative student behavior. These misbehaviors are the everyday incidentals, not the
severe behaviors such as violence towards teachers and students (Dunham, 1992). If
teacher burnout is caused by the above behaviors occurring continuously in the
classroom, the bigger impact of the burnout can lead to not only teachers leaving, but can
lead to higher student dropout rates (Leithwood & Beatty, 2008).
Teachers seem to report having higher levels of stress when there are more
frequent student behavior problems occurring in the classroom (Geving, 2007). Negative
behaviors day in and day out can take a toll on most teachers. Brock and Grady (2000)
emphasized, “Chronic problems with student behavior are factors in teacher burnout” (p.
20
104). Behaviors such as talking out, noises, tardiness, and leaving their seats all seem to
be minor compared to kids who are acting out aggressively. However, the more the above
behaviors occur the more likely they are to cause problems for teachers and lead to stress
and burnout (Dunham, 1992). The behaviors are initially viewed as minor, but the more
they happen, the more the behaviors can start to take a toll on the teachers and how
he/she views the job.
More training in behavior management can lessen burnout because teachers start
having more success with students and classroom management due to increased skills and
knowledge (Egyed & Short, 2006). Furthermore, teachers are confronted with students
labeled as problematic or as “at risk” at an increasing rate (Abebe & Shaughnessy, 1997).
Teachers need to be offered more support in order to be better prepared to handle the
issues that can arise with students in need. Ultimately, the individuals most negatively
affected by stress and burnout of teachers in the schools, are the students (Yong & Yue,
2007).
Students
Another area of concern for teachers and their stress level is whether or not
students come prepared for class and learning time. Lack of student effort in class can be
related to teacher stress (Geving, 2007). Teachers can stress about students who are not
coming to class ready to learn. Some students come with their homework completed,
ready to learn and pay attention throughout the school day. Those students who do not
show the desired effort directly affect the main purpose of a teacher’s job, which is to
assist children in learning (Geving, 2007). If students are not doing the work outside of
21
the classroom and are unprepared when in class, then a teacher can feel the added stress
to “catch up” these students who are now further behind the motivated, prepared students.
Teachers not only need more training in classroom management and how to
handle discipline issues, but also need more assistance with strategies on how to motivate
students to want to learn (Abebe & Shaughnessy, 1997). Furthermore, teachers must
learn to cope with many different interruptions throughout the day, such as working with
students who have special needs, high absenteeism, along with lack of funding and
support from colleagues and administration (Bindhu & Sudheeshkumar, 2006). Some
teachers can feel added stress when it is believed they are not doing their job.
Personality Traits
Certain personality traits can determine how an individual handles stress in life
and on the job as educators. Those who have a neurotic personality seem to experience
higher levels of stress due to a more negative attitude toward problems that exist on the
job (Kokkinos, 2007). Along with neuroses, having poor coping skills can also lead to
negative responses, and if not treated, teacher burnout (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). A
teacher’s self-esteem is also very critical and acts as a controlling factor in whether or not
teachers will experience burnout (Byrne, 1998). The lower the self-esteem, the more
likely an individual could experience burnout.
Furthermore, everyone can be susceptible to the feelings of stress and have
symptoms of burnout during a career. However, Maslach (1982) stated, “The people who
were more prone to burnout had one or more of the following personality traits: weak and
22
unassertive, impatient and intolerant, more reserved and conventional, and can have a
low self-esteem with very little ambition” (p. 62). Having one of the above personality
traits may make an individual more vulnerable to burnout, but it does not guarantee a
person will experience burnout. However, having these particular traits could exacerbate
the stress an individual may be feeling during certain times of his/her career.
Since there is no way to control a person’s personality traits, then attention must
be paid to helping teachers cope with daily stress (Kyriacou, 2001). However, teachers
and principals need to be aware of what coping strategies are being used to help lessen
the symptoms of stress and burnout. Specifically, having poor coping strategies or using
too many passive coping strategies could possibly lead to more symptoms of burnout for
the individual experiencing on-the-job stress (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005).
If organizations are further able to identify the individuals more prone to stress,
then those teachers can be better supported to help work on developing effective
strategies for coping with the pressures and demands of teaching (Jepson & Forrest,
2006). Training on how to deal with stress can give teachers tools to use when stressful
situations occur.
Not all strategies to reduce stress will work for all teachers. It is important for the
individual teacher to discover what strategies work the best for reducing his or her stress
(Kyriacou, 2001). It is also imperative for principals to be aware that not all of the
teachers will cope with stress in the same way.
23
Teacher Self-Efficacy
Teacher self-efficacy is how a teacher feels about the extent in one’s ability to
succeed in teaching children to learn (Ware & Kitsantas, 2007). A teacher’s self-efficacy
is the overall reaction and attitude of the employee about the many factors related to the
job (Hongying, 2007). This feeling comes from within the individual, not from the
perception of others. It is one’s own belief in what one can do, not an outside judgment
being made on one’s actual ability (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007). The higher the perceived
self-efficacy, the more the teacher believes in the ability to teach students. The
individuals who doubt their abilities or do not believe in themselves will, in turn, struggle
with burnout (Maslach, 1982).
Ware and Kitsantas (2007) emphasized the ability for teachers who report feelings
of high self-efficacy to be able to overcome challenges more easily than those who report
low self-efficacy. Additionally, teachers feel satisfaction with their job when the
expectations and rewards match up to each other (Bindhu & Sudheeshkumar, 2006). The
lower the self-efficacy, the less capable a teacher feels in being able to teach children to
learn and the harder it is for an individual to overcome the difficult obstacles faced
(Brock & Grady, 2000). For example, as reported by Brouwers and Tomic (2000), a
teacher’s level of perceived self-efficacy is lowered when one observes disruptive
behavior from students and classroom management decreases. As higher levels of
burnout set in for the teacher, then it increases the disruptive behavior from students,
creating a cycle of the process repeating itself (Brouwers & Tomic, 2000). Additionally,
Yong and Yue (2007) stated the quality of education is compromised when teachers have
24
reached the stage of burnout and are no longer able to devote themselves to the
profession. How a teacher feels about him/herself directly relates to his/her ability to do
the teaching job.
Self-efficacy affects the level of teacher stress. Teachers who report higher levels
of stress have low perceptions of self-efficacy (Betoret, 2006), and in turn have higher
rates of burnout. As a teacher believes less in his/her abilities in the classroom, emotional
exhaustion is heightened, leading to feelings of depersonalization and reduced personal
accomplishment (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007). The act of depersonalization, a detached
attitude towards students, works as a defense mechanism because a teacher does not have
the emotional resources to cope with continued stress (Kokkinos, 2007). However, some
teachers may be better at coping with stress by utilizing strategies to work through it
(Egyed & Short, 2006).
Support from colleagues and administration can help to build positive selfefficacy in teachers. Ware and Kitsantas (2007) defined a groups’ willingness to work
and stay together in a group as “cohesiveness”. The more a teacher believes in the
group’s capabilities and sees it aligned to one’s own ideas of educating children, the more
it correlates to a higher feeling of self-efficacy. Skaalvik and Skaalvik (2007) further
emphasized, “Observing colleagues managing different aspects of teaching may increase
individual teachers’ self-efficacy, particularly when teachers work in teams and have
ample opportunities to observe each other” (p. 621). The opposite would be true if a
teacher did not believe in the abilities of others. The more positive experiences of
collaboration a teacher has, the more likely it will boost intrinsic motivation (Rhodes et
25
al., 2004). Working together and believing in the abilities of the group as a whole can
give an individual a higher feeling of self-efficacy and the ability to do the job.
New Teachers
In the United States retention and attrition of new teachers has been a continuing
concern for all involved in education (Hancock, 2003). Since the early 1990s, the annual
number of individuals exiting teaching has surpassed the number of those entering by an
increasing amount, thereby putting pressure on the nation’s hiring systems (DarlingHammond, 2003). Additionally, teaching is viewed as a highly stressful occupation,
which in turn, can affect the ability to recruit qualified individuals for teaching positions
(Jepson & Forrest, 2006).
The turnover of teachers makes for a less stable situation for schools and districts.
Over the years, studies have revealed that most teachers who leave have fewer than ten
years experience (Inman & Marlow, 2004). Furthermore, Heller (2004) stated, “If the
new teacher’s first-year experience is not a satisfying one, if it is fraught with difficulty
and disappointment, then there is a good chance that teacher will not return” (p. 32).
Even though attrition is high among new teachers in the first five years of being in
the classroom, the reasons for them leaving the profession is often seen as an inability to
cope with what teaching entails or as a mistaken career choice, not as burnout (Graham,
1999). Furthermore, most new teachers entering the profession are young and are
experiencing their first job. In Maslach’s (1982) studies on burnout, the author saw more
burnout among young people versus their older counterparts largely due to the first bouts
26
of burnout happening in the first five years of their career. Early burnout could be a major
factor in why high numbers of teachers with less than five years experience leave the
field of teaching. Older teachers, who have been in the profession for more years, have
been able to survive their earlier spells with symptoms of burnout and stay in education.
Teachers have one of the highest attrition rates of any profession; in particular,
new teachers are apt to leave the profession (Heller, 2004). The constant pressure to
succeed in multiple facets of the job has placed undue strain on novice educators. The
new educational conditions, goals, and reforms are compounding for the beginning
teacher, what is already a complex professional challenge (Inman & Marlow, 2004).
Nieto (2003) stated, “…current reforms that focus only on accountability-including
standardized testing, teacher testing, and other such policies-may be driving out some of
the teachers who are effective with the students who most need committed and caring
teachers” (p. 18).
Standardized tests results have been publicized by district, school, and in some
situations by teacher name. This pressure has been enough to frustrate and add stress for
the most experienced of teachers. In addition, teachers need to be prepared to teach more
than the highly motivated, above average students (Abebe & Shaughnessy, 1997). A
bigger focus needs to be on students who are less motivated, aggressive and hostile
towards others, disruptive, “at risk” for failing, and those who have special learning needs
outside of the set curriculum.
Some colleges provide services that place beginning teachers into their first jobs;
however, many are poorly matched with schools when they initially begin their teaching
27
careers (Inman & Marlow, 2004). Furthermore, beginning teachers have been put into
positions that are not of interest to veteran teachers. It is typical to see a first year teacher
in a class that has discipline problems and low academic performance (Heller, 2004). It
would make more sense for administrators to give the classrooms with “problems” to
their more experienced teachers.
Support of the new teacher is an important element to not be overlooked. New
teachers need help in realizing the importance of their work and how to get the resources
needed to be effective in their jobs (Inman & Marlow, 2004). Well-designed mentoring
programs have been studied and are proven to raise retention rates of new teachers by
improving their overall job performance (Darling-Hammond, 2003). In order for the
mentoring programs to be successful, the concerns of the beginning teachers need to
guide the activities done to help them succeed (McCann & Johannessen, 2004).
Furthermore, in order for new teachers to learn new ways of teaching and become more
familiar with the curriculum, there needs to be regular, structured opportunities for staff
development at the school site (Inman & Marlow, 2004).
Stages of Burnout
Burnout is reached after a teacher’s energy has turned to feelings of exhaustion,
the teacher has detached from his/her job and no longer has a feeling of personal
accomplishment (Brock & Grady, 2000). Each stage is important and should not be
overlooked when studying the syndrome of burnout.
28
Emotional Exhaustion
Emotional exhaustion is the first step in the stages of teacher burnout. Tomic and
Tomic (2000) cited that many studies about the stages of burnout found that a majority of
teachers have experienced some type of symptoms of exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion
happens after the individual has become overly involved emotionally and has
overextended oneself in the job and is no longer able to handle the emotional demands of
others (Maslach, 1982). All of an individual’s emotional resources have been emptied
(Noushad, 2008). Maslach and Leiter (1997), further stated, “They feel drained, used up,
and unable to unwind and recover” (p. 17). The energy is gone and it is hard to complete
what needs to get done.
Depersonalization
The second stage of burnout is the act of depersonalization. The individual, who
is experiencing depersonalization, starts to ignore and pull away from the people who are
in need of the service (Maslach, 1982). To minimize the feelings of exhaustion, teachers
build up a wall to protect themselves from the stressful situation or environment
(Noushad, 2008). In education with teachers experiencing depersonalization, one starts to
separate oneself from the students. Teachers become cynical and negative towards
students and detach from those with whom they work with and teach (Noushad, 2008).
Reduced Personal Accomplishment
The last stage of burnout is reduced personal accomplishment. Teachers feel
inadequate and do not believe in the ability to do the job that is expected (Maslach,
1982). For this reason, a teacher’s perceived self-efficacy has declined and one’s self-
29
esteem has been lowered (Noushad, 2008). During this stage, there becomes a lack of
confidence from oneself and then from others with whom one works (Maslach & Leiter,
1997). The individual no longer has faith that he/she is capable of doing his/her job and,
in turn, stops trying.
Solutions
There are different solutions as to how an individual works to get rid of stress. It
is important for teachers to recognize and acknowledge the stress that is being
experienced, in order to manage it more effectively (Dunham, 1992). Maslach (1982)
stated, “Coping can occur at several different levels: individual, social, and institutional”
(p. 89). An individual can take action on his/her own, work with colleagues, or look to
the organization and its policies to thwart stress. Also, teachers need to be realistic on
what they are able to do for students (Botwinik, 2007). Teachers cannot be everything to
the students’ one teaches.
Kyriacou (2001) described two types of ways to handle stress: using direct action
or palliative techniques. Direct action is when a teacher can do something to eradicate the
source of the stress. The source of the stress is identified and strategies for a solution are
applied to cease the origin of the stress. One can change the situation that is causing the
stress (Dunham, 1992). Montgomery and Rupp (2005) described the act of identifying the
source of the stress and either changing perspective or actively seeking a solution as
“active coping”. Reducing stress is mostly about changing one’s attitudes and views
about the stressful situation, and becoming more self-aware of one’s symptoms of stress
30
and burnout (Sorenson, 2007). This enables the individual to better cope with daily stress
and to not allow it to build into burnout.
Palliative techniques, on the other hand, are when teachers do not deal with the
source of the stress, but rather engage in an activity to reduce the feelings brought on by
the stress, such as getting massages, meditating, or exercising (Kyriacou, 2001). To
reduce work-related stress, the teacher finds something outside of the job to minimize the
stress brought on by situations on the job (Dunham, 1992). Teachers should get involved
in outside interests, such as: hobbies, playing sports, or volunteering, to name a few, to
assist in removing some of the focus off the job (Botwinik, 2007). Doing activities with
others is another way to reduce some of the stress felt by work. Maslach (1982) stated,
“Getting together with people is just as important (if not more so) than getting away from
them” (p. 111).
Furthermore, teachers need to be aware of passive coping strategies. These
strategies include but are not limited to: drinking to avoid, having “wishful thinking”
without a plan of action, and choosing to avoid the problem or issues causing the stress
(Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). Using alcohol or drugs to cope, or distancing oneself from
others who care, can make the process of recovering from burnout even harder (Maslach,
1982). Freudenberger (1980) referred to such behavior as “false cures” for burnout. These
“false cures” help numb the symptoms of burnout, which can feel like temporary relief
for the victim suffering from burnout. However, these behaviors do not alleviate the
symptoms, but in the end can make the symptoms worse.
31
Having support from peers and colleagues can be beneficial and help combat
burnout. Whether it is in a formal setting at staff meetings or in an informal setting at
lunch or breaks, talking with peers can help teachers with symptoms of burnout work
through them before it becomes a problem (Maslach, 1982). Individuals suffering from
burnout need someone in their life to lean on, talk to, and feel close to in order to help
work through the symptoms of burnout (Freudenberger, 1980). Opening up to others,
rather than avoiding relationships, helps alleviate burnout.
Rationale for the Study
The literature review has presented numerous findings on the causes of stress and
burnout among teachers. It is an ongoing problem and it is affecting the attrition of
qualified teachers in K-12 public education. When teachers are unable to cope with the
high demands of their jobs, not everyone seeks out the help needed to overcome the
symptoms of stress and burnout.
The findings of this study will provide an understanding of what teachers at John
Smith Elementary school define as stressful in their jobs when working with children. By
making the symptoms of stress and burnout available to the principal of Smith
Elementary, it may encourage more informed leadership decisions on how to prevent
burnout and keep teachers from exiting the field of education. It will also make the
teachers aware of themselves and others who could be feeling the same sorts of
symptoms of stress.
32
Furthermore, this study will provide insight into the perceptions of the school’s
teachers and administration regarding the perceived causes of burnout. This study may
also have implications for others teaching in urban schools.
Summary
Teacher stress, which can eventually lead to burnout, does not have just one
problem with an “easy-to-fix” solution. There are a myriad of reasons for which teachers
feel stress on the job (Brock & Grady, 2000). Also, there are teachers who can handle the
stress better than others due to personality traits and learned techniques, which help
handle stressful situations in a more positive way (Kokkinos, 2007). Teacher stress and
burnout could be lessened to a great extent if teachers are encouraged to exercise, work
with hobbies, meditate, get massages, to name a few (Kyriacou, 2001).
Administrators can work with teachers to assist them in taking action against the
source causing the stress (Brock & Grady, 2000). This strategy could help in reducing
unneeded stress levels for teachers. Learning to cope with the daily situations which arise
for teachers would give them tools to lessen the amount of stress they have, as well as
giving them a choice on how to handle the stress that arises in their job (Jepson &
Forrest, 2006). The stronger the relationship a teacher has with the administrator, the
easier it is for one to fight of the symptoms of stress.
When job stressors play an important role in teacher burnout, administrators need
to be aware of what stressors are having the biggest impact on lowering teacher-efficacy
rates (Leithwood & Beatty, 2008). If dealing with disruptive students or time
33
management issues is adding stress to a teacher’s job, then it is up to the administration to
aid in professional development in the area of need (Brock & Grady, 2000).
Teachers need to be able to believe in the ability to teach students, even the most
difficult ones. If a teacher has low self-efficacy, there is a feeling of not being able to
meet the needs of the students in the classroom (Ware & Kitsantas, 2007). The more
teachers feel helpless in teaching, the more teachers become emotionally exhausted
(Maslach & Leiter, 1997). Teachers then become callous towards students and the job,
which eventually turns to feelings of inadequacy and lack of accomplishment. If not
acknowledged and addressed, this will continue to be a problem among educators.
If there is a strong sense of community at a school site where teachers work
together and have respect for each other, self-efficacy among teachers seems to be more
positive (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007). Having a connection and camaraderie with
colleagues could help with emotional exhaustion, which is the first feeling of stress.
Teachers would then have emotional resources to tap into in order to combat the stress.
Teachers would not have to go onto the next step of protecting themselves:
depersonalization.
Once a teacher has started to feel stress related to the job, if not treated, the
teacher can enter the above stated three stages of burnout (Maslach, 1982). First, a
teacher becomes emotionally exhausted. Once exhaustion sets in, a teacher can start to
pull away from students and colleagues isolating oneself from the very people who need
the help. Lastly, a teacher starts to doubt one’s ability to do one’s job successfully. There
34
is feeling of a lack of personal accomplishment in one’s job. If burnout is not
acknowledged and treated, teachers can choose to leave the profession (Botwinik, 2007).
Leaders need to realize that stress and burnout is an issue among educators. It is
imperative that administrators are aware of what and how teachers are feeling about
success in the classroom at each site in order to support the productivity of teachers
(Brock & Grady, 2000). Principals need to be able to assist teachers in meeting the needs
that are of most concern. Paying attention to what is leading to stress, and doing
something to combat it on site, could lead to less burnout. Additionally, administrators
need to take preventative measures to keep stress and burnout at bay (Maslach & Leiter,
1997).
35
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter explains the methodology used to complete the study. It will explain
the population and sample used, the design of the study, how the data were collected, the
instrumentation selected, and the analysis of the data. The methods used were both
quantitative and qualitative in nature. The quantitative method consisted of survey
research, which was used in the form of a questionnaire. The questionnaire had twelve
Likert Scale items followed by one open-ended question. The qualitative method
consisted of interviews with six of the teachers in the sample population.
Population and Sample
School and District
The study was conducted in a large, urban school district in the Sacramento
Valley of Northern California. Jack Smith Elementary School is situated in a lowincome/high-poverty area of the city and is one of 54 elementary schools in the district.
The school facilities consist of a library, music room, computer lab,
cafeteria/multi-purpose room with a stage, and an office building for support staff and
administration. There is a large playground with two basketball courts, four tetherball
courts, a play structure, and a new blacktop with a painted track, foursquare courts, and
hopscotch squares. There is very limited shade on the playground. The two kindergarten
36
rooms have their own, gated playground with a smaller play structure and play area. The
campus also has a portable building which houses the Day Care Center for before and
after school daycare and a preschool during regular school hours.
Jack Smith Elementary currently has class size reduction in kindergarten through
third grade with a student teacher ratio of 20:1. Both fourth and sixth grade are also under
class size reduction at a ratio of 25:1, while the fifth grade has a student teacher ratio of
33:1. The class size reduction in fourth and sixth grade is due to the Quality Education
Investment Act (QEIA), which gives schools three years to lower class size in the
intermediate grades as part of the criteria for the grant.
Jack Smith Elementary had been a program improvement (PI) school for five
years under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. For four years, it did not meet
its annual yearly progress (AYP) in significant areas of the California Standardized Test
(CST) in Language Arts, leading to program improvement status under NCLB. The 20062007 school year was the first year the school met all of the criteria for NCLB. In order to
exit out of PI status, the school had to meet the federal standards for two consecutive
years. For the 2007-2008 CST, 36% of the students scored proficient or advanced in
Language Arts, and 55% scored proficient or advanced in math. The targeted percentage
for 2008 was 35% in Language Arts and 36% in math. Each target was met for a second
year in a row, which enabled Jack Smith Elementary School to exit PI status.
Through its five years in program improvement status under NCLB, Jack Smith
Elementary had many external sources assist the school site to help improve CST scores.
The school currently works with a consulting company during academic conferencing
37
and to help coach teachers in the classroom with direct instruction. Three grants have
been used at the site: the High Priority Schools Grant (HPSGP), QEIA, and the Nell Soto
Home Visitation Grant. With these grants, the school was able to add 30 minutes to the
teaching day, supplement teachers for two hours a month of common planning time,
reduce class size in most intermediate grades, and pay teachers and staff to conduct home
visits with families who do not make it to campus. The school also has Supplementary
Educational Services (SES) in the form of an after-school tutoring program for
kindergarten through sixth, and a math academy for third through sixth graders at
California State University, Sacramento, during summer break. Each of these grants and
programs were set up and available to assist lower performing schools.
Teachers
The school has a relatively small staff with 16 full-time, credentialed, selfcontained classroom teachers. One hundred percent of the teachers are labeled as Highly
Qualified Teachers (HQT) under NCLB. There are three other credentialed part-time
teachers on campus. The school has a half-day resource specialist who works with
students that require individual assistance and who have Individual Education Plans (IEP)
to help them achieve academically. The physical education and music prep teachers work
two days each at the school and three days at other schools in the district. The ages of
teachers range from 27 to 62 years of age. Teaching experience in the classroom ranges
from three to 30 years. Ninety-five percent of the teachers on staff are female and five
percent are male.
38
Students
The school serves approximately 350 students from grades kindergarten through
sixth with one multi-level special day class of first through third graders. Of these
students, 96% are labeled as socio-economically disadvantaged which enables the entire
student-body to receive free breakfast and lunch services. The student population consists
of 46% Hispanic, 22% African American, 21% Asian, six percent White (non-Hispanic),
two percent Pacific Islander, one percent Filipino, one percent American Indian, and one
percent declined to state. Of these students, 45% are English Language Learners.
Design of the Study
This research took on an exploratory case study approach. That is, it is more of a
prelude to future research on this topic as opposed to researching a theory. The case study
method is applicable to real-life situations and it is obtainable to the community through
written reports and can relate to an individual’s understanding of the topic (Yin, 1984).
The study’s design consisted of a 14-item questionnaire given to the 16 classroom
teachers. There were follow-up interviews conducted with six of the teachers surveyed.
The questionnaire had twelve Likert-scale items relating to whether teachers felt stress in
their workday. These items were followed by one Likert-scale item on how satisfied
teachers were with their overall job. The questionnaire ended with one open-ended item
asking the teachers in their own words to describe what caused them the most stress with
their jobs. The teacher surveys were anonymous. There were volunteer follow-up
39
interviews in order to gain additional insight from the teachers based on the answers
given in the questionnaire.
Instrumentation
In March of 2009, questionnaires were handed out to all 16 self-contained,
classroom teachers during the end of a staff meeting. Teachers were asked to either fill
the questionnaires out at the meeting, or to fill them out on their own time and return
them to the researcher by a particular date. All 16 questionnaires were returned after
completion by the given due date. At the same staff meeting, teachers were given a
chance to volunteer for an interview to more thoroughly express their thoughts on teacher
stress and burn out. The names of volunteers were taken, and interview appointments
were set for a later date.
The purpose of the questionnaire was to determine to what degree teachers felt
stress with different aspects of their job. The majority of the questionnaire used Likertype items to assess the degree in which a teacher experienced stress related to the
statement. The responses were on a scale from 1 (high stress) to 4 (no stress). There was
one open-ended item, which gave teachers a chance to put into their own words what
caused them the most amount of stress in their job. A copy of the cover letter is in
Appendix A. The questionnaire is in Appendix B. The interview items can be found in
Appendix C.
40
Data Collection
Questionnaires with cover letters were distributed on March 26, 2009, at a school
staff meeting. They were given to the sixteen certificated classroom teachers. Teachers
were given oral instructions with time at the end of the meeting to fill out the
questionnaire or they could return them to the researcher by April 17, 2009.
Once all questionnaires were returned, the data were then analyzed to indicate
general trends for each of the statements. Due to the very small population sample of this
study and the fact that the instrument itself was not lengthy, it was not necessary to use
any computerized software programs such as SSPS or NUDIST to analyze the data
collected. Instead, the researcher employed a manual analysis by creating major
categories, subcategories, and an elementary analysis tree to discern emerging patterns
and unexpected results. This method allowed for researcher to triangulate all data
collected.
During the staff meeting, teachers were asked to volunteer for follow-up
interviews to the questionnaire. Ten teachers volunteered to participate in the interview
process. Due to time constraints of the researcher, six teachers were selected for
interviews. The participants selected to participate in the interview acknowledged feeling
on-the-job stress and/or burnout currently or in the past, and had a variety of years of
experience in the teaching field.
The researcher conducted interviews approximately two to three weeks after the
surveys were completed and the researcher was able to analyze the data to adjust the
interview items if necessary. Each of the interviews lasted for approximately 30 minutes
41
and held in the individuals’ classrooms after school. The interviews were recorded to help
insure accuracy in reporting teacher responses and subsequent transcription. The
researcher later transcribed the recordings. The interview items were formed based on the
responses to the survey items to get a deeper understanding behind the reasons for stress
and burnout among teachers. The open-ended interview items can be found in Appendix
C and were as follows:
1. How many years have you been teaching?
2. How many years have you been at your current school?
3. What are the main sources of stress in your workday?
4. Which causes you more stress: your everyday work, or the requirements set
by state and federal legislation?
5. Do you feel the stress you encounter in your job is in or out of your control to
fix? Explain.
6. How does, if at all, your job as a teacher affect your home life?
7. Have you experienced burnout anytime during your teaching career? If yes,
what were the symptoms you had?
8. Does stress in your job ever make you want to leave the teaching profession?
9. Does the stress you feel in the workday affect your overall satisfaction with
your job?
42
Data Analysis Procedures
This was a 14-item questionnaire. The first twelve items were Likert Scale
statements. The numbers were correlated to the following statements: 1- strongly agree
(high stress), 2- agree (moderate stress), 3- disagree (minimal stress), and 4- strongly
disagree (no stress). The thirteenth item asked teachers to rate the overall satisfaction
with their job by marking one of the following: very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, and
very dissatisfied. The final part of the questionnaire was an open-ended item, which was
used to make further conclusions about perceived stress felt by the teachers. After all of
the responses to the surveys were recorded, the information was manually tabulated and
totaled into percentages. The percentages were then analyzed to determine to what degree
teachers experienced stress and burnout related to each of the statements.
43
Chapter 4
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
Introduction
This chapter describes the data collected through a teacher survey with 12 Likert
Scale items and one open-ended item, as well as interviews. It includes an analysis of the
items as they relate to the research questions posed in Chapter 1. The data were analyzed
in three main areas: the Likert Scale items, the open-ended item, and the responses of the
interview items.
Analysis of Teacher Survey
The Likert Scale portion of the questionnaire had teachers rank their perceived
degree of stress and burnout on an array of factors. The Likert scale contained the
following choices: 1- Strongly agree (high stress), 2- Agree (moderate stress), 3Disagree (minimal stress), and 4- Strongly disagree (no stress).
1. Helping students reach “proficient” in grade level standards.
2. I have too much work to complete.
3. Too much prep work for school to do outside of the classroom.
4. High demands on meeting and teaching grade level standards.
5. Not enough time in the workday to complete non-class work.
6. The student ability range is too wide in my classroom.
7. Lack of time spent with individual students.
44
8. Support from the administration.
9. My relationship with colleagues.
10. My relationship with students.
11. I have insufficient resources.
12. State and Federal testing mandates.
The directions were as follows: “Respond to the following statements by rating
them on a scale of 1-4 as each relates to your perceived level of stress. Circle your
rating.”
Item One asked participants if helping students reach “proficient” in grade level
standards was a cause of stress.
Table 1
Staff Responses to Survey Item One
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
9
56%
Agree
6
38%
Strongly Disagree
1
6%
The results of this item indicated the majority of the staff felt helping students
reach “proficient” in grade level standards cause them stress. Nine or 56% of the teachers
strongly agreed, six or 38% agreed, and one or six percent strongly disagreed.
Item Two asked participants if having too much work to complete was a cause of
teacher stress.
45
Table 2
Staff Responses to Survey Item Two
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
3
19%
Agree
10
63%
Disagree
2
12%
Strongly Disagree
1
6%
The results of this item demonstrated that over 80% of the staff believed having
too much work to complete was a cause of their stress. Three or 19% strongly agreed, ten
or 63% agreed, two or twelve percent disagreed, and one or six percent strongly
disagreed.
Item Three asked participants if having too much prep work for school to
complete outside of the classroom caused any stress.
Table 3
Staff Responses to Survey Item Three
Responses
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
1
6%
6
38%
7
44%
2
12%
46
The results of this item showed about a little less than half the staff felt there was
too much prep time, while about a little more than half the staff did not see lack of prep
time as a problem related to stress. One or six percent strongly agreed, six or 38% agreed,
seven or 44% disagreed, and two or twelve percent strongly disagreed.
Item Four asked participants if the high demands on meeting and teaching grade
level standards were a cause of stress in the workday.
Table 4
Staff Responses to Survey Item Four
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
3
19%
Agree
8
50%
Disagree
4
25%
Strongly Disagree
1
6%
The results of this item demonstrated that about two-thirds of the participants
surveyed felt the demands of teaching grade level standards were a cause of on-the-job
stress. Three or 19% strongly agreed, eight or 50% agreed, four or 25% disagreed, and
one or six percent strongly disagreed.
Item Five asked participants if not having enough time in the workday to
complete non-class work caused stress.
47
Table 5
Staff Responses to Survey Item Five
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
4
25%
Agree
6
38%
Disagree
5
31%
Strongly Disagree
1
6%
The results of this item showed that almost two-thirds of the teachers questioned
believed not having enough time in their workday caused them stress. Four or 25%
strongly agreed, six or 38% agreed, five or 31% disagreed, and one or six percent
strongly disagreed.
Item six asked participants whether or not the student ability range being too wide
in the classroom caused them stress.
Table 6
Staff Responses to Survey Item Six
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
4
25%
Agree
11
69%
1
6%
Disagree
48
The results of this item showed the majority of the staff felt stress when dealing
with the wide range of student ability levels in their classroom. Four or 25% strongly
agreed, eleven or 69% agreed, and one or six percent disagreed.
Item Seven asked participants if the lack of time spent with individual students
caused stress.
Table 7
Staff Responses to Survey Item Seven
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
7
44%
Agree
7
44%
Disagree
2
12%
The results of this item demonstrated the greater part of the teachers surveyed
considered the lack of time spent with individual students caused them stress during the
workday. Seven or 44% strongly agreed, seven or 44% agreed, and two or twelve percent
disagreed.
Item Eight asked participants about the degree to which support or perceived lack
thereof from the administration caused stress.
49
Table 8
Staff Responses to Survey Item Eight
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
1
6%
Agree
1
6%
Disagree
3
19%
Strongly Disagree
11
69%
The results of this item indicated the larger part of the participants surveyed
answered that their relationship with the administration did not cause them stress. One or
six percent strongly agreed, one or six percent agreed, three or 19% strongly disagreed,
and eleven or 69% strongly disagreed.
Item Nine asked participants how their relationships with colleagues related to
their stress levels.
Table 9
Staff Responses to Survey Item Nine
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
1
6%
Agree
2
13%
Disagree
5
31%
Strongly Disagree
8
50%
50
The results of this item demonstrated that a large number of the teachers did not
feel their relationships with colleagues caused them stress. One or six percent strongly
agreed, two or 13% agreed, five or 31% disagreed, and eight or 50% strongly disagreed.
Item Ten asked participants how their relationships with students related to their
stress levels.
Table 10
Staff Responses to Survey Item Ten
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Agree
2
12%
Disagree
6
38%
Strongly Disagree
8
50%
The results of this item showed the majority of the participants did not believe
their relationships with students as a cause of stress. Two or twelve percent agree, six or
38% disagree, and eight or 50% strongly disagreed.
Item 11 asked participants if insufficient resources caused stress.
Table 11
Staff Responses to Survey Item Eleven
Responses
Teachers n=16
% of Total
Agree
2
12%
Disagree
6
38%
Strongly Disagree
8
50%
51
The results of this item demonstrated that the larger part of the participants did not
believe insufficient resources were a source of stress. Two or twelve percent agreed, six
or 38% disagreed, and eight or 50% strongly disagreed.
Item 12 asked participants if state and Federal testing mandates caused them
stress.
Table 12
Staff Responses to Survey Item Twelve
Responses
Teachers
n=16
% of Total
Strongly Agree
4
25%
Agree
10
63%
Disagree
2
12%
The results of this item showed that the majority of the teachers surveyed felt
stress due to state and federal testing mandates. Four or 25% strongly agreed, ten or 63%
agreed, and two or twelve percent disagreed.
Item 13 asked participants to rate their overall satisfaction with their jobs.
Teachers were asked to rate them with the following choices: very satisfied, satisfied,
dissatisfied, and strongly dissatisfied. The item asked was: “Taking everything into
consideration, how do you feel about your job as a whole?”
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Table 13
Staff Responses to Survey Item Thirteen
Responses
Teachers
n=16
7
% of Total
Satisfied
8
50%
Very Dissatisfied
1
6%
Very Satisfied
44%
In response to this item, seven or 44% were very satisfied, eight or 50% were
satisfied, and one or six percent was very dissatisfied. The participant who was
dissatisfied with his/her job answered the open-ended item with pink slips, or getting laid
off, as the most stressful part of his/her job.
Summary of Teacher Survey
The analysis of the teacher survey illustrates areas involving working with
students in the realm of academics, ability levels, and testing mandates are comparable to
other well-documented casual factors of burnout, such as standardized testing and
requirements through NCLB. From the results of the questionnaire, 94% of the teachers
felt helping their students reach “proficient” in grade level standards on state testing and
having a wide ability range in their classrooms to be a moderate to high cause of stress in
the classroom. Lack of time with individual students, and state and federal testing
mandates, caused moderate to high stress among 88% of the teachers.
Areas of less stress at this particular school site, was with the relationships with
the administration, colleagues, and students. Although the teachers indicated stress within
53
their job spec, 94% of the teachers were either satisfied or very satisfied with their current
teaching position.
Analysis of Teacher Survey Open-Ended Item
The open-ended item on the questionnaire stated: “What are the biggest causes of
stress in your workday? Please explain.”
The following responses were taken from the open-ended item that relates directly
to the causes of teacher stress:

Never enough time to get things done. There are high demands to get my
students to “proficient” however I never feel I have enough time to get
everything done.

Pink slips! (Researcher note: this “pink slips” refers to job termination notice
happening on March 15, 2009.)

I’m stressed when I am unable to build the level of relationship I need to help
my students.

Getting kids to improve on their schooling.

Too much work. Students needy in all areas.

Working with my instructional aide, differing expectations between what
special education students can do and what they are expected to do, and too
many meetings. Testing.

Different abilities of students, unmotivated students, and negative staff
member chit-chat.
54

Behavior issues can be a small problem. Biggest issues would be curriculum
not meeting state standards, so we need to make our own.

Two students who have a difficult time following directions the first time
asked. They are disruptive aspects within the classroom.

Lack of time to meet with small groups or individual students. Lack of time to
teach all standards.

Newer students are so far behind- seems to take up all my time.

Not getting everything done, students not making progress, and student
behaviors.

Students’ proficiency and academic challenges cause me stress.

Lack of time for one-on-one teaching time. Testing

Feeling like I am always falling behind. Trying to stay excited and motivated
every single day. Making sure I give each student some positive attention
every day.

The high standards put on students and teachers, and then trying to meet the
needs of all levels of students. Not having enough time in the day for all that
is expected of teachers. Federal and state laws put into place without the
proper funding to meet the requirements.
The biggest theme found throughout the open-ended question responses was the
high demand on meeting the educational needs of individual students. Teachers stress the
need to have more time with students to improve their schooling and to be able to meet
the required standards for the grade level being taught. There seems to be a lack of time
55
in the school day to be able to pull students either one-on-one or in small groups to get
them some focused help.
The demand on meeting state standards with testing was another area of concern.
This, along with not having enough time to work with students in need during the regular
school day seemed to be linked together. If teachers cannot meet with students in need, it
is harder to meet the standards set by state and federal legislation.
There was some concern with student behavior focused on disruptive and
unmotivated students. Again, this concern ties in with the students’ abilities to meet the
standards set at each grade level. Overall, the teachers surveyed found meeting the needs
of the students in all areas of academics as the biggest cause of stress felt in their work
day.
Analysis of Interviews
There were six teachers who participated in the interviews. The interviewees were
teachers from Jack Smith Elementary School in the urban school district in the
Sacramento Valley. The teachers were chosen based on their willingness to volunteer
during the staff meeting when the questionnaires were handed out. The interviewees were
labeled respondents A, B, C, D, E and F. The interviews were tape recorded to help
insure accuracy in reporting teacher responses.
Respondent A
Respondent “A” has been a teacher for twelve years, and has spent her entire
teaching career at her current school. In the twelve years, she has taught five different
56
grade levels with two combination classes. All of her moves were by choice, except for
teaching the combination classes.
Respondent A described her everyday work stress as being controlled by her, but
feels she does not have control over the stress caused by state and federal legislation. She
answered items number three, four, and five as follows:
I stress the most about if I am teaching my kids everything they need to know, are
they understanding it, and will it show in their test scores. I also stress about
having enough time to get everything done and taught each day. My everyday
stresses really come down to how I plan out my day. If I am organized and
planned my day accordingly, I can get through my day smoothly. If I am
unorganized or not thoroughly planned, my stress levels rise and then more
factors come into play. I seem to have less patience with student behaviors. I
don’t feel as though I have control over what the state and federal government
mandates for us. That is way more stressful for me because I don’t have control
over the requirements and mandates. I want my students and me to succeed. There
are times I don’t want to teach anymore because I feel like we are all being set up
to fail.
When asked whether or not her job as a teacher affects her home life, Respondent
A answered, “Of course it does. A bad mood at school, leads to a bad mood at home.”
When asked about whether or not she has experienced burnout in her career and if
she has ever wanted to leave the teaching profession due to stress, Respondent A
answered in the following way:
57
I have definitely felt burnout. I didn’t want to come to work. I felt grumpy all the
time. I felt taken advantage of by my colleagues and the administration. I resented
them for expecting so much of me. I didn’t have the energy to enjoy other parts of
my life. I just wanted to sleep or lie on the couch and watch television. I wanted
to leave the profession. I thought of other jobs I could do besides be a teacher.
When questioned on whether or not the stress Respondent A feels during her
workday affects her overall job satisfaction, she stated:
Not at all; I am satisfied with my job. Yes, I have days I am not satisfied, but if I
look at my overall job, the answer is a definite yes. If I wasn’t, I would have left
the profession. And, I do have bouts of times where I am burned out and
dissatisfied, but luckily, it always passes.
Respondent B
Respondent “B” has been teaching for the past four and a half years. For the last
four years, she has been at the same school and has taught kindergarten. At the end of
every year, due to budget cuts, she has been laid-off by the district. Each summer, she has
been rehired by the district and has been able to return to the same school and position for
employment.
Respondent B felt her everyday work stress comes from time management around
curriculum and being able to meet the needs of each of her students. Respondent B stated,
“I find it hard to fit all required curriculum into three hours of teaching a day.” She also
described the stress of not having enough means to work with students who come into her
58
class speaking little to no English. “I do not feel as though there is enough support for me
to meet the needs of my limited English speaking students.”
When answering item four, Respondent B said the requirements placed on
teachers has caused her the majority of the stress she has felt during her job. Respondent
B stated:
Knowing the pressure put behind the requirements and standards for kindergarten,
it stresses me out to have to catch my students up who do not attend preschool and
who do not have the academic support at home. Tack on not being able to speak
English, and at times, my job feels like I have to climb the biggest mountain every
single day in hopes that my students will meet mastery in kindergarten standards.
With the above stresses described by Respondent B, she answered item five as
follows, “I have control over what I do in my room with my students. That stress is
caused or relieved by only me. The requirements are what I have to follow.”
Respondent B felt her home life was only minimally affected by her job. She only
brings work home about two days a week, but does bring a lot home emotionally. “I
worry about my kids and their well-being. That is harder to leave at the door than
papers.”
When answering the item about burnout, Respondent B stated she had not felt it
due to what has happened in the classroom. Her feelings of burnout come during the
second half of the year when lay-off notices are being sent out, and she does not know if
she will have a job at the beginning of the next school year. Respondent B replied,
59
The only time I feel like I don’t want to teach is at the end of the year and I am
holding a pink slip. It’s been four years of being uncertain about my job. Packing
and unpacking every June and September. It makes me wonder if it’s worth it.
When Respondent B was asked if she ever thought of leaving the profession, she
stated, “No, it is where I belong. I only ever question it because of the lack of job
security.” Along with the previous item, Respondent B is very satisfied with her job.
Respondent C
Respondent “C” has been in education for 24 years. She has been in her current
position as a third grade teacher for the last three years. During her time in education,
Respondent C has worked in the classroom as a teacher, at school sites as a reading
coach, and at the district level in an administrative role. She spent six years working as a
reading coach at several different school sites, and then worked for two years in an
administrative role at the district level.
When asked what the main sources of stress in her workday are, Respondent C
identified two areas of concern: colleagues who do not follow through and worrying
about not being able to teach her students the correct way. She did emphasize not feeling
any stress with the administration at her current site. Respondent C believed her daily
stress is in her control to fix. She stated,
Even though there is a lot of pressure put on teachers to get each student to meet
mastery level on grade level standards, I do not feel it is a bad stress for schools in
high poverty areas. The accountability is helpful for children of poverty. It also
helps me stay focused.
60
Respondent C reiterated that it is how she approaches and plans out her
instruction. She has worked hard at being proactive about the process.
School does affect Respondent C’s home life. She spends one day of her weekend
planning and correcting student work, and one day on her personal life. Respondent C
also stated, “My bedtime is much earlier than what time my spouse would like to go to
bed.” The difference in bedtime takes away time spent with her husband.
Respondent C experienced burnout when she was outside of the classroom. She
explained,
I got burned out during the two years I spent as an administrator at the district
level. I had to go on sleep medication and also got a severe case of acid reflux. I
realized during this time, I was much happier when I was working in the
classroom with children.
Respondent C only questioned whether teaching was the right career for her
during her first two years of teaching. However, once she got past the “rough spots,” she
has always known teaching was where she belonged. As for overall satisfaction of her
job, Respondent C stated, “Although the constant buzz of stress can affect my overall
satisfaction, it never gets to the point of being detrimental to me or my health.”
Respondent D
Respondent “D” started in an internship at her current school while still in the
credential program. After finishing the internship, she stayed on at the site and has
worked at the same school for the past twelve years. She has taught second through
fourth grades with the majority of her tenure spent in second grade.
61
Respondent D described not having enough time as her biggest daily stress in her
job. She stated, “There is not enough time to address all the issues that come up in the
curriculum.”
When asked about which causes her more stress, her daily work or the state and
federal requirements, Respondent D explained,
I believe the requirements put on teachers is the most stressful. I think it is
especially so, because of where I teach. The reality is I only have my students for
six hours in a day. I can’t control what they do at home. No matter how hard I
work to get everyone to meet the required standards, I will always fall short of the
goal.
Along the same lines, Respondent D stated she can handle anything that is in her
control. What she cannot control is what happens at home. She has no control over how
hard her students work at home, or how supportive parents are with their children’s
education.
In response to whether or not her job affects her home life, Respondent D
answered, “Not at all. I make it a point to rarely ever bring work home.”
Respondent D has only experienced symptoms of burnout when the
administration at the site was not strong. She stated,
The only time I ever felt burnout in my career was when the administration was
bad. I didn’t want to come to school because of all the tension between the
teachers and the principal. It was very hard to do my job with poor leadership.
62
Respondent D would only want to leave where she teaches, not teaching as a
career. This is due to struggling with meeting the needs of lower income students.
“Sometimes the pressure to meet the requirements makes me want to move to a school in
a higher income area,” explained Respondent D.
The only time Respondent D is not satisfied with her job is when reviewing test
scores at the beginning of each school year. Respondent D stated,
You can only do so much by yourself, yet you are looked at as a grade level team
and then as a school. It’s not fair when one of your team members is dragging
down the rest of the grade level.
However, overall, Respondent D is very satisfied with her job and cannot see
herself leaving the profession of teaching.
Respondent E
Respondent “E” has been teaching for 20 years. Teaching was a second career
choice after spending several earlier years in television journalism. She is currently
teaching fifth grade and has been at the same school for 19 years of her career.
The main sources of Respondent E’s everyday work-related stress was getting up
early, keeping up with everything (i.e. planning and grading), and keeping everything
organized. However, she does believe she has more control over her daily routine versus
the requirements put on teachers and students. Respondent E stated,
My everyday is enjoyable. I love working with kids. It’s the directives coming
from the federal, state, and district level that puts pressure on me. It is too much at
63
times, because it is impossible to get everything done in such a short amount of
time.
Respondent E also stated that most of the stress in her workday can be controlled
by changing her attitude about things. She explained, “I have no control over the
requirements, but I do have control over how I will deal with them.”
When asked whether or not her home life was affected by her job, Respondent
“E” felt her home life was affected. She spends at least one weekend day working on
schoolwork. For this reason Respondent E stated, “I definitely miss out on personal
activities.”
As for burnout, Respondent E stated she has not felt burnout yet during her
teaching career. She stated,
I don’t think I have experienced burnout because this is a second job for me. I
came into teaching experiencing something else. I think I am starting to
experience some symptoms now because of all the requirements and the lack of
fun in the curriculum.
Respondent E does not want to leave education because she has had other careers
and enjoys making a difference in the lives of children. Respondent E stated, “There is
nothing else I would rather do.”
Due to the testing pressures and the stress of all the different requirements,
Respondent E misses the time she used to spend with her students on other activities
beyond just the standards. For this reason, she is not as satisfied with her job as she was
when she first started teaching.
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Respondent F
Respondent “F” has been teaching at the same school and district for thirteen
years. She was first a student teacher at the site, and then was hired on full-time after
receiving her teaching credential. She is currently teaching first grade, but has taught
multiple years in kindergarten and second grade. Respondent F also is co-head teacher
and takes on responsibilities outside of the classroom when the principal is not on
campus.
When asked what the main source of stress was in the workday, Respondent F
responded:
I struggle with wanting to reach every student. How do I differentiate my
instruction to meet all academic levels in my classroom? With that, how do I
manage my time spent teaching to make sure everything involving curriculum
gets done when it needs to be done?
Respondent F stated that the everyday stress she encountered caused her more
stress than the requirements set by state and federal legislation. She further implied that
the standards for her grade level were clear to her, but rather it was how to teach them
throughout the day that caused her stress.
When asked whether or not the stress encountered in her job was in or out of her
control, Respondent F answered:
Yes, it is in my control. I also find it gets easier with each year that passes. I am
good about seeking out solutions to my struggles. I go on the internet, take staff
65
trainings, use my colleagues, and much more to help me out when I am stuck. The
standards are clear to me. It is how I use them that can stump me.
The only time Respondent F felt her home life was affected, was when she had to
take work home. “I hate taking work home. If I do, then I am missing out on doing
something pleasurable.”
Respondent F stated she has felt the symptoms of burnout more than once during
her career. Respondent F explained:
I felt negative about my job and didn’t know if it was worth it when we were
struggling with bad administration. So much was going on, that I didn’t know if
the pay was worth all of the stress I felt. The only other time I have felt it was
right after becoming a new mom. There was a lot to juggle, and it didn’t help that
I had a class with a lot of behavior issues.
When asked if there was ever a time Respondent F wanted to leave the teaching
profession, her answer was a definitive no. “Never. I love this job, and I can’t imagine
doing anything else.”
Along with staying in the profession, Respondent F did not feel that the stress she
encountered during her workday affected her overall satisfaction with her job.
Respondent F replied:
No, stress does not change my satisfaction with my job. Even when I am stressed
about something, I can overcome it. I can tackle the problem, and then I am not
stressed about it anymore. I make sure the stressful situations do not build up. I
use my resources around me to solve whatever is stressing me out.
66
Summary of Interviews
All respondents have felt stress within their job whether it is because of their daily
routine, the requirements, poor administration, or its negative effects on their home lives.
However, when asked whether or not they are satisfied with their job or would ever leave
the profession, 100% of them had no intention of starting over in a different career.
The most prominent theme found within the interviews was the lack of time to
meet the academic needs of each student. Along with meeting the needs of each student,
there was also a lot of stress felt in the demands placed on teachers by the state, federal,
and district levels in regards to standards and testing. With individual students, there was
also a concern with the lack of time spent on education at home, as well as helping “catch
up” students from other schools who transfer. Additionally, a lack of exposure to
preschool, students with limited English, and insufficient time in the school day to meet
all of the needs and requirements placed on students and teachers.
The teachers interviewed all stated that aside from what was mandated by state,
federal, and district levels, each of them had control over the daily stresses brought on by
the job. Some felt it was how they planned out and organized the school day. Others felt
it was how they approached the obstacles. A positive attitude can go a long way when
dealing with stressful situations.
Very little was mentioned about relationships with students, colleagues, and
administration. However, more than one stated not having strong administration in the
past has lea to stress at work. Additionally, there was very little if any mention of student
behaviors as a cause of stress for this group of teachers. They all voiced their concerns
67
about meeting the many needs of each student, but not negative student behaviors as a
source of stress. This suggests that these six teachers have fluent and highly affective
classroom management skills. Thus, the needs and sensations of “stressors” emerge from
other factors.
68
Chapter 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The purpose of this research was to conduct a case study of elementary teachers to
understand their perceptions on the causes of burnout and their affects on student
achievement. This researcher undertook this study because she had witnessed how stress
affected her and her colleagues’ performance. The study focused on the following three
questions:
1. What are teacher perceptions regarding stress and burnout in teaching?
2. What are teacher perceptions regarding the causes of stress and burnout
among teachers at Jack Smith Elementary School?
3. What are the possible solutions to reduce or limit the symptoms of stress and
burnout in teaching at Jack Smith Elementary School?
The current literature explored many different causes of stress and burnout among
teachers in education. Research studies indicated that individuals can be more
predisposed to the symptoms of stress and burnout in relation to particular personality
traits (Kokkinos, 2007). On-the-job stress can be anything from lack of classroom
management, lack of support from parents, colleagues, and administration, unmotivated
students, testing and standards pressure, not having enough time in the day, a lack of
resources, not enough planning time, and much more. There is not one particular area of
69
the job that causes more or less stress for teachers. Each individual is susceptible to stress
and burnout for varying reasons.
All teachers can be affected by the symptoms of burnout during their careers. No
one is immune to the stress that can occur during the workday and school year. Stress can
affect a teacher’s feeling of self-efficacy which can eventually lead to the three stages of
burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment
(Maslach & Leiter, 1997).
Along with the many symptoms associated with stress and burnout, the same is
true for the solutions to alleviate it. It is up to the individual affected to take action to
lessen the symptoms. It is also important for administrators and other school leaders to
not only be aware of the causes of stress, but to work with employees to reduce or
prevent the stress from happening.
The perceptions of the teachers who participated in the study on stress and
burnout in education had the same outcomes as the related literature. There were many
different reasons for the stress felt by each individual. However, collectively, the
perceived main areas of stress pertained to the academic success of their students. Not
having enough time to plan and work with students in need caused high stress.
Additionally, the teachers surveyed expressed the importance of a strong administrator.
More than one stated that while not currently the case, in the past, not having a strong
administrator caused them more on-the-job stress.
Stress and burnout among people who work in fields that focus on other human
beings has been studied for over 30 years. No one is immune to stress, nor is there one
70
easy solution for coping with the stress or the symptoms of burnout. Some individuals
face the problem head-on, while others do other activities in their lives to relieve the
work-related stress. It is important for teachers dealing with stress to avoid turning to
unhealthy activities, such as substance use to decrease the pressure.
Conclusions
During the research process, the school and teachers being studied were in a
difficult situation due to large state and federal budget cuts for education. Four out of the
16 teachers (25% of the current staff) were given lay-off notices from their current
teaching positions at the school being studied. The school was also up for closure for the
following school year. The teachers spent many days and nights working toward keeping
the school off the closure list. This included several meetings after school and sometimes
late into the night, contacting and working with parents as well as getting the word out to
the community. The teachers were under an immense amount of stress that was out of
their immediate control.
The research concludes that teachers do feel stress and symptoms of burnout for a
myriad of reasons. Most teachers surveyed and interviewed have felt the effects of stress
and symptoms of burnout during one or more times in their careers. The majority of the
teachers interviewed expressed a negative impact on their home lives because of the
demands and stresses of their jobs. Whether it was bringing work home to complete at
night or on the weekends instead of spending time with loved ones, or coming home in a
bad mood, teachers’ lives were affected by their jobs.
71
The perception of support from administrators was the same for most of the
teachers interviewed. Several felt that “poor” administration experienced in the past had
caused them more stress. On the questionnaire, 88% who responded that they currently
had minimal or no stress due to administration, also responded to being satisfied to very
satisfied with their job. Furthermore, teachers interviewed indicated they felt more stress
with their jobs when there were problems with the administration.
The perception of reaching all students and taking them to mastery levels in grade
level standards was a high source of stress for the majority of the teachers surveyed and
interviewed. Teachers emphasized not having enough time to work with students one-onone, in small groups, and with those who had more needs than the average student
(English learners, low achieving students, students with special needs, etc.).
Being organized and being able to cover necessary curriculum during the school
day and year to help advance students was also an issue of stress for most teachers at the
site. Teachers did not feel there was enough time in the school day to get all of the
required work completed.
The perception of state mandated testing and the pressures of NCLB were both a
source of stress for the teachers. Teachers were worried about not getting their students to
levels of proficiency in grade level standards. More than one teacher interviewed said
state testing and the pressures of NCLB are a big cause of stress. However, accountability
seemed important to the participants, since there was such a concern with meeting the
needs of the students.
72
The perception of being in control of one’s stress was split between what a
teacher was able to do during the workday, and what the state and federal government
along with the district mandates required of the teachers. Teachers expressed feeling
stress with the mandates established by state and federal laws and with what the district
administration required of the schools, teachers, and students. The majority of teachers
surveyed and interviewed felt stress from the aforementioned, as well as feeling that the
stress was out of their realm of control.
The stress brought on by day-to-day duties of the teachers was seen as in the
participants’ control. From attitude, to organization of materials and curriculum to be
taught, time management, student behavior, and relationships with students, parents,
colleagues, and administration, the teachers surveyed and interviewed felt they had power
over whether or not they could control the stress associated with these issues.
Whereas issues with classroom management and students with behavior problems
were seen in the current literature to cause stress, this particular group of teachers did not
see student behavior as a major source of stress in their workdays. This distinguishes this
group of teachers from most others in the field. It points out their high fluency in
classroom management skills. These participants had higher concerns with students being
able to succeed regardless of all of the different requirements set at federal, state, and
district levels.
73
Recommendations
As a result of this study, the researcher has identified the following
recommendations for the teachers and administrators at this school site.
1. Training for teachers and principals in how to support each other to limit
stress. Support from colleagues and administrators seem to lower stress for
teachers. It is important for teachers to work together, using each other to talk
through daily stressful situations that may arise.
2.
Training for both the administration and teachers on how to recognize the
symptoms of burnout and strategies on how to alleviate the symptoms before
they become an issue for everyone involved at the school.
Furthermore, many teachers are unaware that they are exhibiting
symptoms of burnout. Thus, they are not able to combat it before the
symptoms of stress leads to severe burnout and the need to leave the teaching
profession.
3. Incorporation of team-building activities throughout the year to help
strengthen the relationships of the staff. The researcher believes it is up to the
principal to bring awareness to teacher stress and burnout, thereby making the
well-being of the teachers a top priority.
4. Further research into how school leaders can take a preventative approach to
stress and burnout at the teacher level. Since principals are the ones who lead
schools and teachers, the researcher believes it is important for administrative
credentialing programs to include the causes, effects, and possible solutions of
74
teacher stress and burnout in the curriculum. The goal of all schools is to
educate students; however, if the teachers are struggling with their jobs, then
the students are the ones who are most negatively affected.
5. Further research into examining the impact of severe budget cuts on teachers’
levels of stress. Keeping in mind, this would focus on teachers with the least
amount of tenure who are the most likely to be laid-off, to be moved from
school to school, and to get the toughest classes on campus.
6. Further research in examining the impact of on-the-job stress on the physical
well-being of teachers. Are teachers missing more school because they are
sick due to stress or the symptoms of burnout? Examining whether or not
there are physical health problems related to teacher stress would reiterate the
importance of administrators and teachers to look more closely at the impact
of stress and burnout on teachers.
The researcher believes all of the recommendations mentioned above are pertinent
in the future study of the causes of stress and burnout among teachers. However, at this
school site, this researcher most strongly advocates for a bigger focus on prevention and
support. The research on the causes of stress and who is more susceptible to burnout has
been around for years. Nevertheless, stress and burnout are not decreasing in the field of
teaching. For this reason, this researcher thinks it would be more advantageous at the site
level to focus on both prevention and support in order to reduce the cases of burnout
among teachers.
75
APPENDICES
76
APPENDIX A
Cover Letter
77
Cover Letter
March 26, 2009
Dear Teachers,
I recently received my administrative credential and am now working on my
masters in educational leadership at California State University, Sacramento. I am
currently in the process of working on my master’s thesis and I need your support. I am
investigating questions surrounding teacher stress and burnout.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few moments to fill out the
attached survey. You may put your completed survey in the marked envelope in my box
no later than Friday, April 17, 2009. The survey is completely confidential. The data will
be used for further research to focus the thesis. If you have any questions about the
survey do not hesitate to call me at 928-XXXX. Thank you for your support in this
endeavor.
Sincerely,
Diana Curtaz
Graduate Student
CSU, Sacramento
78
APPENDIX B
Teacher Survey
79
Teacher Survey
Grade Level(s) Taught: _____
Years Teaching: _____
Respond to the following statements by rating them on a scale of 1-4 as each relates to
your perceived level of stress. Circle your rating.
1- strongly agree (high stress)
2- agree (moderate stress)
3- disagree (minimal stress)
4- strongly disagree (no stress)
1. Helping students reach “proficient” in grade level standards.
1
2
3
4
2. I have too much work to complete.
1
2
3
4
3. Too much prep work for school to do outside of the classroom.
1
2
3
4
4. High demands on meeting and teaching grade level standards.
1
2
3
4
5. Not enough time in the workday to complete non-class work.
1
2
3
4
6. The student ability range is too wide in my classroom.
1
2
3
4
7. Lack of time spent with individual students.
1
2
3
4
8. Support from the administration.
1
2
3
4
9. My relationship with colleagues
1
2
3
4
10. My relationship with students.
1
2
3
4
11. I have insufficient resources.
1
2
3
4
12. State and Federal testing mandates (NCLB, etc).
1
2
3
4
13. Taking everything into consideration, how do you feel about your job as a whole?
___very satisfied
___satisfied
___dissatisfied___very dissatisfied
14. What are the biggest causes of stress in your workday? Please explain.
80
APPENDIX C
Interview Items
81
Interview Questions
10. How many years have you been teaching?
11. How many years have you been at your current school?
12. What are the main sources of stress in your workday?
13. Which causes you more stress: your everyday work, or the requirements set by
state and federal legislation?
14. Do you feel the stress you encounter in your job is in or out of your control to fix?
Please Explain.
15. How does, if at all, your job as a teacher affect your home life?
16. Have you experienced burnout anytime during your teaching career? If yes, what
were the symptoms your had?
17. Does stress in your job ever make you want to leave the teaching profession?
18. Does the stress you feel in the workday affect your overall satisfaction with your
job?
82
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