What types of educational practices impact school burnout levels in adolescents?

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between educational practices perceived by high school students and their level of burnout, as defined by emotional exhaustion, cynicism and inadequacy. A total of 287 adolescents (146 girls) aged between 14 and 19 years old (M = 16.08, SD = 1.01) and recruited from a public high school in French-speaking Switzerland completed a questionnaire regarding perceived educational practices and school burnout. Results from path analysis showed that the three dimensions of burnout were negatively associated with certain teacher- and school-related educational practices. More precisely, support for struggling students (ß = −0.24, p < 0.001) as well as teaching time (ß = −0.16, p < 0.05) were predictors of exhaustion (R2 =0.27). Teachers’ instructional behavior (ß = −0.22, p < 0.01) and teacher motivation (ß = -0.31, p < 0.001) were predictors of cynicism (R2 = 0.20) and application of rules (ß = −0.21, p < 0.01) predicted inadequacy (R2 = 0.09). These educational practices should be of particular interest when it comes to strengthening the protective role of schools and teachers against school burnout in adolescents.