Most teachers experience high levels of burnout and stress—and those conditions may be affecting their students’ achievement, a recent study says.
The study, conducted by University of Missouri, Columbia researchers and published in the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, measured the levels of stress, burnout, and coping abilities of 121 teachers at elementary schools in a Midwestern school district, as well as the effects of teacher stress and coping on student outcomes.
Teachers each rated their levels of burnout, stress, efficacy, and coping on a scale of zero to 10 and filled out checklists on their students’ behavior. A standardized test gauged students’ academic achievement.
Almost all the teachers—93 percent—reported high stress levels, while only 7 percent were categorized as “well-adjusted.”
The teachers who reported the highest levels of stress and lowest levels of coping were also linked with the worst student outcomes, which included lower math scores and more disruptive behaviors.
