Burnout in Early Childhood Educators and Children’s Outcomes: Evidence from Colombia

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Burned-out teachers may produce detrimental learning environments. Some studies have shown that teacher’s burnout is associated with low quality of teacher-child interactions and low child outcomes (Osheret al., 2007; Tsouloupas et al., 2010; Wolf, et al, 2018). Therefore, it is relevant to know which conditions affect teacher’s burnout. This study is aimed at: (1) exploring teacher and center characteristics associated with teacher’s burnout, and (b) exploring the association between teacher’s burnout and children’s outcomes.

Data came from 52 public centers located in Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia. The sample was composed of 372 children (52% girls, mean age=3,78 years) and 52 teachers. An adaptation of the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI; Maslach et al., 1996) was used to assess teachers’ emotional exhaustion and lack of personal accomplishment. Children’s developmental outcomes were assessed with the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA; Pisani, Borisova & Jo Dowd, 2017) in five dimensions: emergent literacy and numeracy, social-emotional development, motor development and executive functions. Teacher characteristics (education, income, type of contract), center characteristics (risks, availability of materials, class size), and teacher’s pedagogical quality were assessed using the Instrument for Measuring the Quality of Early Childhood Education in Colombia (IMCEIC; Maldonado-Carreño et al., 2018).
Separate linear regression models were estimated to address both aims. First, teacher’s burnout was modeled as a function of teacher and classroom characteristics. Second, children’s development was modeled as a function of the two burnout dimensions. In each model we controlled for children’s sociodemographic characteristics. Preliminary results showed that teacher’s age, educational level, and class size were negatively associated with burnout, especially with emotional exhaustion, whereas the number of risks present in the center were positively associated with emotional exhaustion (Table 1). Negative and significant associations were found between emotional exhaustion and children’s social-emotional development, motor skills and executive functions.
Results highlight the importance of teacher’s well-being for children’s development. Implications for public policy will be discussed.

Group Authors

Tiffany Jiménez (presenting author)
Universidad de Los Andes
ta.jimenez10@uniandes.edu.co
Tatiana Plata-Caviedes
Universidad de Los Andes
t.plata1127@uniandes.edu.co
Carolina Maldonado-Carreño
Universidad de Los Andes
ca-maldo@uniades.edu.co

Authors

• Tiffany Jimenez, Universidad de los Andes (Uniandes)
  Presenting Author

• Tatiana Plata, Universidad de los Andes (Uniandes)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carolina Maldonado-Carreño, Universidad de los Andes (Uniandes)
  Non-Presenting Author