From Newcomers to Veterans: Uncovering Burnout Profiles and Influential Factors in Early- and Mid-Career Teachers

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Abstract

This study explored burnout patterns among early-career and mid-career elementary school teachers in South Korea using data from the Elementary Teacher Longitudinal Study. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of teachers based on three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of accomplishment. Random forest machine learning was then applied to examine key factors predicting group membership. Results revealed distinct burnout profiles within each career stage, with early-career teachers showing higher burnout overall. Influential predictors included job satisfaction, teaching motivation, and teacher self-efficacy. Findings highlight the need for tailored support strategies based on teachers’ career stages and provide valuable insights to improve teacher well-being, retention, and educational quality in elementary schools.

Authors

• Sohee Kim, University of South Alabama

• Seoyeon Park, University of Nevada, Las Vegas