Professional burnout among English language teachers in public and private schools in Yerevan: a mixed methods study

Abstract

Professional burnout is mental and physical exhaustion that is related to the workplace. It is common among teachers because teaching requires an excessive amount of daily interaction with students, parents, and colleagues. However, the problem of teacher burnout is not well-studied among the Armenian teacher population. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of burnout among English language teachers in public and private schools in Yerevan. It also aims to investigate the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, work-related aspects, and burnout. Moreover, it explores the main causes of burnout according to English teachers in Armenia. The mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was used in this study. The first part included a survey that was conducted among a sample of 63 English language teachers from public and private schools. The second part of the study included semi-structured interviews with teachers selected based on the results of the first part to ensure maximum variability of perspectives. The study found that 25.4% of English language teachers suffered from high emotional exhaustion, while only 6.3% suffered from depersonalization, and only 2% suffered from reduced levels of personal accomplishment. The study found that the main factors that relate to burnout and its sub-dimensions are prior teaching experience, attending training programs, the level of education, and relationships with colleagues. It also identified several perceived causes of burnout such as inadequate salaries, inappropriate student behavior, lack of moral and emotional reward, and overcrowded classrooms. The study concludes with recommendations about specific practices that policy makers and school administrations can adopt to mitigate the effect of work stressors and reduce teacher burnout levels.