Primary School Teachers and their Life Satisfaction in Relation to Burnout

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to determine the level of life satisfaction and the prevalence of burnout in teachers. A partial goal was to find out the relation between life satisfaction and burnout in terms of various aspects such as gender, age, and length of teaching experience. The research sample consisted of 136 teachers at elementary schools in the Olomouc Region, of whom 29 were men and 109 were women. The average age of the respondents was 45.12 years, SD 11.44. The data were obtained through the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and MBI Burnout Inventory. The results showed that one third of teachers were significantly emotionally distressed and showed a low level of personal satisfaction. One fifth of teachers showed a high level of depersonalization. As far as the level of work satisfaction is concerned, a significant negative correlation was observed with the level of emotional exhaustion, while a positive correlation was found with overall life satisfaction and personal satisfaction.