Factors influencing burnout of the principals: a pilot study in Flemish schools of Belgium

Abstract

Burnout is a real problem with serious consequences for the health. Employees who work in stressful professions are more likely to suffer from burnout. The school principalship is one of these high-stress professions. It is characterised by overwhelming responsibilities, information confusion, and emotional anxiety. The purpose of this study is to examine common work-related stressors encountered by principals in Flemish schools of Belgium and assess their relative weight in terms of predicting school principal burnout. Using the survey method, 545 responses were collected from school principals of both primary and secondary schools. A structural equation modelling (SEM) was constructed to test both the reliability and validity of the measurement as well as the structural model. The study findings showed that role conflict, role ambiguity, and workload, along with some personal factors such as age and gender have significant and positive influences on burnout of principals.