Burnout amongst primary teachers and their coping strategies

Abstract

Today we are living in a world where the popularity of skilled jobs is diminishing, while the number of jobs in the service industry is increasing. These types of jobs include those where the worker needs to provide human services. This study will be focusing on the teaching profession, specifically, on primary teachers. In a quantitative study, I intend to investigate how a number of service providers from this profession view teaching, and the factors that facilitate or hinder teaching. The main question is; are teachers getting burnt out? If the answer to this question is yes, what is the reason to this. A survey which was conducted among those teaching in two primary schools in the south of Malta looked at which type of teachers might face burn out more than others taking gender, age, teaching experience, class taught and marital status among others. The data elicited from the questionnaire was analysed using PASW. The main results which emerged was that teachers with a B.Ed. (Hons.) degree seemed to cope better in the teaching profession, as were those who had been teaching for a 4 longer period of time. Female, more than male participants felt stressed at work, especially those who were in a long term relationship. There were also gender differences when it came to coping with stress. These were some of the conclusions attained in this dissertation.