Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Future of Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Fighting Burnout: Learning, Burnout, and Educators
Karla Miner
ABSTRACT:
While early research identified the impact of burnout on organizational and individual success, the urgency to address burnout in education has intensified following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teacher burnout, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and feelings of inadequacy, has been a commonly discussed topic among educators internationally following the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies highlight the alarming rates of burnout among educators, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to support well-being and mitigate educator attrition. This collection of papers seeks to address three primary aspects of burnout and practice: A literature review of individual and organizational practice, a narrative case study investigating a successful educator, and a mixed methods study investigating the relationship between stress, burnout, and how educators talk about their practice/burnout. This literature review utilizes the theoretical framework of Andragogy and is supported by Self-Determination Theory. These theories are used to analyze the relationship between burnout and strategies at both individual and organizational levels. Both frameworks, interwoven, highlight the importance of reflective practices, agency, and supportive leadership structures in addressing burnout within educational organizations. Despite significant progress, gaps remain in understanding how organizations and individual educators can intentionally implement these practices to reduce burnout in K–12 education, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape of unprecedented vacancies and educators permanently leaving the profession. This review calls for an integrated approach to addressing educator burnout, connecting existing research to actionable strategies for fostering resilience, efficiency, and success for educational organizations and individuals.
keywords: Educator Practice, Strategies, Organizational Practice, Burnout, Learning, Organizational Practice, Educator Efficacy