Professional burnout in general and special education teachers: the role of interpersonal coping strategies

ABSTRACT

In the present study, the role of interpersonal coping strategies was examined in relation to teachers’ characteristics and burnout factors. Two hundred sixty-nine General and Special Education teachers completed the Teachers’ Interpersonal Competences Test and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Differences in the use of interpersonal coping strategies were noted on teachers’ gender, teaching experience, grade level, experience and training in Special Education. Interpersonal coping strategies predicted most of teachers’ burnout factors according to regression analyses. The importance of developing strategies that enhance interpersonal relationships and reduce conflicts at schools, in order to reduce teachers’ burnout, is discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Interpersonal coping strategies
• general and Special Education teachers
• burnout
• situational Judgement Tests

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Financial disclosure/funding

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.