Burnout Syndrome, Engagement and Goal Orientation in Teachers from Different Educational Stages

Abstract

Teaching is a demanding occupation, physically, mentally, and emotionally, that, depending on personal characteristics, can have a negative impact on health and personal wellbeing, which can affect the way professors work and teach in schools. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between burnout, engagement, and goal orientation in a sample of teachers from different educational stages. The sample comprised 576 teachers from different schools, both male (N = 244; 42.36%) and female (N = 332; 57.63%) aged between 21 and 65 years (M = 38.55; DT = 12.15). The instruments used were the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey (MBI-GS), the Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ). The results revealed that task orientation presents a significant correlation with engagement and self-efficacy, and negative correlation with burnout, in line with adaptive behaviors, and that ego orientation is correlated with engagement and commitment. It is concluded that both forms of goal orientation have a positive effect on teacher commitment and that they help to prevent burnout syndrome and also that self-efficacy plays a role in determining goal orientation in teachers in their work assignments.