The Efficacy of Interventions for Reducing Teacher Burnout: A Meta-Analysis
Abstract
The present study is a systematic meta-analytic study of 30 primary sources investigating the effectiveness of interventions to treat teacher burnout. We systematically searched and screened over 6,000 records for studies to include. We computed summary effect sizes for each facet of burnout and total burnout symptoms at post-intervention and follow-up. We conducted 23 separate meta-regressions for potential moderators found to influence burnout our related constructs in prior literature. Results indicate that interventions to prevent and reduce teacher burnout do appear to have some evidence of effectiveness. Summary effect sizes at post-intervention were small for Emotional Exhaustion (k =25, g = 0.16, 95% CI, [0.09, 0.23], p <.001), Personal Accomplishment (k =19, g = 0.21, 95% CI, [0.06; 0.35], p < .01), and Total Burnout (k = 6 g = 0.35, 95% CI, -0.02, 0.72, p = .06). The summary effect size for Cynicism/Depersonalization was trivial at post-intervention (k =17, g = 0.14, 95% CI, [0.01, 0.27], p = .037). Summary effect sizes at follow-up were moderate for Emotional Exhaustion (g = 0.52, 95% CI [-0.03, 1.07], p = .056), and small for Cynicism/ Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. Sample sizes were small for follow-up data; however, results can be cautiously interpreted as indicating that intervention effects are maintained over time. Mindfulness interventions appear to have more, and stronger evidence compared to behavioral interventions for the purposes of reducing burnout symptoms. Minutes of direct contact moderated effect sizes for Personal Accomplishment, suggesting potentially important implications for structuring interventions. We discuss interpretations and implications of these results, as well as limitations and future directions for teacher burnout intervention research.
Subject
teacherburnout
resilience
meta-analysis
emotional exhaustion
denationalization
personal accomplishment
Citation
Kestian, Jade Gail (2020). The Efficacy of Interventions for Reducing Teacher Burnout: A Meta-Analysis. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /191710.