Experienced risk of burnout among teachers with persistent turnover intentions

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between teacher burnout risk and career turnover intentions. The participants consisted of 313 Finnish comprehensive schoolteachers with persistent turnover intentions in a five-year follow-up. The data consisted of Likert-type statements and one open-ended question. In the latent profile analysis, four burnout profiles, from moderate to high risk of burnout, were identified. More than half of the teachers displayed transient or persistent high risk of burnout. The most frequently experienced burnout symptom was exhaustion, although perceived inadequacy and cynicism were also associated with teacher turnover intentions. Teachers with persistent turnover intentions also experienced burnout symptoms. The reasons teachers gave for their turnover intentions were associated with the different burnout profiles. Teachers experiencing moderate risk of burnout were more likely to report a lack of commitment to the teaching profession as a primary reason for turnover intention, compared to other profiles with a higher risk of burnout.