Burnout in prospective elementary school teachers: Is it related to reasons for choosing the elementary school teaching major, beliefs about the teaching career and satisfaction with the choice?

Abstract

The present study was carried out to examine the relationships between elementary school teacher candidates{&}apos; motivations for choosing the teaching profession, beliefs about the teaching profession, satisfaction with the choice, and burnout. The study was carried out with 171 senior elementary school teacher candidates at one public university in Turkey. Results showed student burnout was significantly and negatively correlated with ability, intrinsic career value, social utility value, and prior teaching and learning experiences as motivations to enter the teaching profession. It was also found that student burnout negatively and significantly related with task return and satisfaction with the choice of career. Moreover, there was found to be a significant and positive relationship between burnout and fallback career as motivating factor, which reveals that students who chose teaching profession as a last resort profession experienced a greater level of burnout. Regression analysis revealed that ability-related motivations to entering into teaching contributed negatively to student burnout, whereas fallback career and personal utility value motivations contributed positively to student burnout. Regarding beliefs about the teaching profession and satisfaction with the choice, it was found that task return and satisfaction with the choice were negative contributors to student burnout.