Predicting intention to quit among Chinese teachers: differential predictability of the components of burnout

Abstract

This paper focuses on the differential predictability of Maslach's three burnout components on the intention to quit the teaching profession among Chinese teachers in Hong Kong. A sample of 379 teachers participated in the current study, which provided data on the associations among social support, burnout, and intention to quit. Results from structural equation modeling confirmed that the three components of burnout acted differently on intention to quit, with emotional exhaustion as the dominant factor, while the other two components exerted no effect. The findings concurred with those from US research. Support from a supervisor has a direct influence on the teacher's intention to quit and an indirect effect through emotional exhaustion. In contrast to the findings in the West, the effect of support from colleagues was shown to be minimal in this study.

Keywords:

• Burnout
• Chinese teachers
• intention to quit
• social support

We would like to thank the Editor and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions that led to a substantial improvement in the manuscript.

The data used in the study is part of the master thesis of the second author.