Are Beginning Teachers with a Second Degree at a Higher Risk of Early Career Burnout.

Abstract

This study investigated the impact that holding a second university degree has on levels of burnout that is reported by beginning teachers during their first year of employment. This research formed part of an ongoing investigation that aims to identify important elements relating to teacher well-being during the transition from university to a teaching career. One hundred and twenty three teachers responded to a mail survey six weeks after they commenced full-time teaching (T1) and again six months later (T2). On both occasions the survey included the Educators Survey version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Forty five percent of respondents indicated that they held a second university degree in addition to their Bachelor of Education qualification when they registered as a teacher. A between-subjects MANOVA indicated that there were no significant differences in burnout scores between those respondents holding an additional university degree and those who only held the Bachelor of associated with the manifestation of debilitating symptoms which, over time, lead to significant reductions in the health and well-being of individuals who experience this phenomenon. Thirdly, the detrimental impact that burnout has Education degree at T1. However, at T2, a similar analysis indicated that the group of respondents with a second degree had significantly higher burnout levels on two of the three MBI dimensions. These results suggest systematic differences may exist between the two categories of graduates and that these differences may impact on the rate at which burnout develops during the first year of a teaching career. Author abstract, ed