Date
8-6-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Charlotte P. Holter
Keywords
CTE, CTSO, stress, coping, burnout, teachers
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Perez, Christina C., "Stressors Causing Career And Technical Education Teachers To Experience Burnout: Hermeneutic Phenomenology" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7338.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7338
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the stressors and coping strategies for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers in career and technical education in Texas’ public education system. The theory guiding this study was the transactional model of stress and coping proposed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman. The use of this theory will impact the lives of CTE teachers facing challenges in their current roles and taking on extra duties compared to non-CTE teachers. The central research question focused on how CTE teachers experience major sources of stress and burnout. In addition, the sub-questions will support the central question by focusing on areas that can cause stress to teachers, such as classroom planning, CTSO participation, and administrative support, further exploring the coping strategies used by CTE teachers. This qualitative study used hermeneutic phenomenology to explore the lived experiences of 10-15 CTE teachers who encounter stress and coping. Utilizing phenomenology allows the researcher to delve into how stress impacts individual teachers and explore the various coping mechanisms they employ. Data collection for this research included individual interviews, a focus group, and letter writing. The data entered into the Delve data analysis software facilitated the identification of themes using Van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological theory. The research findings indicate that although participants faced stressors including administrative challenges, emotional strain, and workload demands, many CTE teachers identified coping methods to manage these stressors. The data indicated that support systems, establishing boundaries in maintaining a work-life balance, and the intrinsic reward of seeing student growth played a crucial role in navigating these stressors.
