Factors affecting burnout and work engagement in teachers when entering employment.

OBJECTIVE

When entering employment many beginning teachers experience a reality shock and a crisis of competence. These two factors, in combination with high levels of job demands and low levels of job resources, may lead to the development of burnout. The purpose of the study was to investigate how individual characteristics, the educational context, and the work context predicted levels of burnout and work engagement during this transition period.

PARTICIPANTS

The sample consisted of 1290 beginning teachers from Sweden.

METHODS

Data were collected using surveys during the final year of education and during the initial period of employment. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression.

RESULTS

Job demands, job resources, and spillover between private life and work accounted for the largest amount of explained variance in both burnout and work engagement. Job demands were more strongly related to burnout, whereas job resources more strongly related to work engagement. The predictors with the greatest relative influence on both burnout and work engagement were unmet expectations and mastery of skills.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the importance of the work context's impact on burnout and work engagement. Additionally, the interaction between private life and work should be further studied in future studies.