Investigation of school burnout and school attachment among secondary school students

Abstract

School burnout can be defined as a student’s negative attitudes towards school, their decreased school attachment, and their sense of inadequacy. According to this definition, burnout is related to a decrease in school attachment. Burnout and attachment notions, which constitute a conceptual contrast, are mostly dealt with alone and rarely together in studies conducted with students. This study aims to determine whether secondary school students’ burnout dimensions predict their level of school attachment. In addition, the study explores whether students’ school burnout and school attachment differ according to some demographic variables. Participants in the study, which was conducted with a correlational survey design, consisted of 550 students (276 females and 274 males) receiving education in secondary schools in a city east of Turkey in the 2018–2019 academic year. The research data were collected using the School Attachment Scale and School Burnout Scale. Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression, an independent sample t-test, and a one-way ANOVA. The results revealed a negative relationship between school attachment and school burnout. The key finding was that feelings of low success and emotional exhaustion were significant predictors of school attachment. Moreover, some differences existed in terms of gender and class level. Although the research achieved significant results, it will be useful to conduct studies with larger sample groups, including private schools, in the future.