Teaching Burnout in Student-Teachers and Professional Teachers: Teaching Burnout Across Teacher Groups, Genders and the Link of Teaching Burnout to Teaching Satisfaction

Abstract

Although teaching burnout is considered a risk factor for teaching satisfaction, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding its impact on both student-teachers and professional teachers. The Maslach Burnout Inventory stands out as a widely recognized tool for measuring burnout, yet little is known about its measurement invariance across teacher groups and teachers’ genders. The current study therefore established measurement invariance across teacher groups and genders to reveal possible differences in the experience of teaching burnout across teacher groups and genders. Moreover, the current study investigate whether teaching burnout is a risk factor for teaching satisfaction in the teacher groups. 649 participants took part in the study (12.8% males, Mage = 34.6 (SD = 11.1). Results indicated that the MBI was invariant across teacher groups and genders. Student-teacher groups experienced less exhaustion and less professional efficacy. No gender difference in the experience of different aspects of burnout was found. Finally, exhaustion and cynicism significantly and uniquely negatively predicted teaching satisfaction, whereas professional efficacy significantly and uniquely positively teaching satisfaction. Student-teachers should be equipped with appropriate knowledge and skills to handle burnout in their future teaching career during their teacher training program.