Date

4-26-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Judy Shoemaker

Keywords

burnout, Appalachia, Appalachia schools, MBI-ES, Rural, Title I schools, Midde school, grades 4-9

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe and explore the burnout experiences of teachers in Title I rural Appalachian schools Grades 4–9 in southern Ohio. The theoretical framework guiding this study is Maslach’s burnout theory. The central research question was “What are the burnout experiences of teachers in Title I rural Appalachian schools Grades 4–9?” Convenience sampling was employed to select the 12 participants, all of whom are teachers teaching in Grades 4–9 within Sunshine County, a rural Appalachia-based school qualifying as a Title I institution in southern Ohio. The data presented in this study were collected through surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The survey was conducted using a Likert-type scale developed Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators. Researcher-developed interview and focus group transcripts were analyzed by using an open-coding approach to identify themes. Triangulation was employed across the survey, focus groups, and individual interviews. During the study the four themes arose: (a) emotional exhaustion, (b) depersonalization, (c) decreased sense of personal accomplishment, and (d) stress. The implications of this study underscore the imperative to adapt and reform educational policies and practices to address teacher retention, mitigate burnout, and bolster recruitment efforts, ultimately impacting student outcomes, school climate, professional development, and future research in teacher burnout. These adjustments are crucial for retaining teachers and reducing burnout rates, particularly in Title I rural Appalachian schools.

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