Teacher Experiences of Burnout During COVID-19: A Mixed-Methods Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers' Career Choices: Motivations, Persistence, and Patterns

Abstract

This mixed methods study investigated the lives of nine elementary teachers at the end of the 2019-2020 school year in one northeastern state of the United States in response to this research question: What are teachers’ experiences with burnout during COVID-19 school closures? Each teacher participated in a 60-minute semi-structured interview and then completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators Survey. Preliminary analysis suggests that teachers experienced burnout in the scale of Emotional Exhaustion possibly due to participants describing a range of negative emotions during the COVID-19 school closures. Teachers did not show signs of burnout on the scales of Depersonalization or Personal Accomplishment but instead spoke of an extended commitment to their students during the COVID-19 school closures.

Authors

• Megan L. Hauser, Lehigh University

• Jihyun Kim, Sungshin Women's University