Socio-psychological aspects of forming emotional burnout among high school teachers

Abstract

In this work we have studied the influence of the production process factors on the formation of professional burnout among teachers of higher education in different age groups due to the influence of various negative components of their work activity. Totally 81 individuals were included in the study. All interviewed people were divided into four groups: I – up to 36.6 years old (n=17), II – from 36.6 to 48.6 years old (n=23), III – from 46.8 to 58.6 years old (n=19), IV – above 58.6 years old (n=22). By gender all groups were equal, because in every group the number of women was dominated. All information was obtained by anonymous questionnaire. Questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic, professional-anamnestic information and standardized scales: Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, which allows to to determine the risk of burnout development by identifying emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishments; Freiburg Personality Inventory, which is applied to diagnostics of the statuses and personality traits having major importance for process of social adaptation and regulation of behavior, as well as for applied researches, including diagnostics, career guidance, expertize. According to the analysis of study results we found out that the highest susceptibility to the influence of emotional burnout symptoms was in the age group up to 36.6 years, while the lowest susceptibility to the negative impact was found in the age group above 58.6 years. This is explained due to the phenomenon of emotional shock at the beginning of teaching profession, which comes as a result of the teacher’s knowledge of the reality of teaching in institutions of higher education. Measures to reduce the influence of production process, which lead to the formation of professional burnout, as well as its prevention should be carried out at all levels, from the individual to the interpersonal and organizational, as it is necessary to take into account the individual features of the personal characteristics, conditions and directions of teacher’s work activities.