Burnout syndrome levels of teachers in special education schools in Turkey

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine whether burnout levels of special education teachers working with hearing, orthopedic and mentally impaired students in Bursa, Turkey differ according to some independent variables such as gender, family status, years of teaching experience, educational background and school type. A descriptive approach incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted in the present study to collect data. To analyse the quantitative data, t-tests and Mann Whitney-U test and descriptive analysis were used. A total of 67 teachers were selected from the seven special education schools in Bursa, Turkey. Each subject was given both the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Personal Information Form. Fourteen of the voluntarily participant teachers were interviewed. The results of the study revealed the fact that teachers working in special education schools had been experiencing burnout at very high levels. When burnout levels were investigated with respect to the type of the schools where the teachers work, significant differences were found in all subscales. To overcome burnout syndrome, it is necessary to train qualified teachers not only psychologically but also physiologically. For this reason, teachers both during pre-service and in-service education periods should take some courses, which will help them avoid burnout.