Background/Purpose According to social cognitive theory, teachers' self-efficacy includes confidence in planning, organizing, and executing activities toward educational goals. Continual crises affecting teachers' self-efficacy may result in emotional distress, such as anxiety or burnout. This study investigated associations between teachers' self-efficacy and burnout.
Method Using a mixed-method design, 87 physical educators completed 3-dimension measures of teachers' self-efficacy (instruction, management, and motivation) and feelings of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to predict dimensions of burnout. In addition, eight teachers were randomly selected and interviewed individually for one hour. Interview data was analyzed through constant comparison and trustworthiness strategies included member checking and negative case analysis.
Analysis/Results Quantitatively, management self-efficacy was the strongest negative predictor of emotional exhaustion (DR2=.08, â= -.27, P<.01) and depersonalization ((DR2=.12, â= -.36, P<.01); whereas, instructional self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of reduced personal accomplishment (DR2=.05, â= -.21, P<.01). Qualitative interviews found that self-efficacy intersected with interpersonal relationship with students, variety of instructional strategies, and providing choice and support. In addition, increased burnout stemmed from physical fatigue, diminishing work conditions, changes in students' personalities, and further marginalization in schools.
Conclusions Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs are negatively related to their burnout level. There is a dynamic web of interrelations among different dimensions of teachers' self-efficacy. Management self-efficacy and the unique nature of burnout in physical education must be taken into consideration when developing interventions both to prevent and to treat burnout among physical education teachers.