Program
Special Education M.A.
Year Approved
2021
First Advisor
Strand, Charles
Abstract
This thesis will explore the reasons behind teacher burnout in special education. The field of special education has increased dramatically throughout the years. As more research is being done to determine the various disabilities out there, the need for special education teachers increases. There is a gentleman by the name of Maslach that discovered the term “burnout”. According to Maslach there are three different components of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. After researching this topic the four findings that contribute to teacher burnout include: stress management, workplace characteristics, benefits of mindfulness, and identifying the disabilities that affect teacher burnout the most. Stress management focuses on how the special education teacher manages their stress. Workplace characteristics can also play a role in teacher burnout. This could include the special education teacher’s age, how long they have been in the field, and how much collaboration they have with other teachers and support staff in their building. Mindfulness is a tool that special education teachers can use to assist them with burnout. The most common disabilities that are associated with burnout are students with Developmental Cognitive Delay, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Emotional Behavior Disorders.
Degree Name
Special Education M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Fancher, S. M. (2021). Special Education Teachers and Burnout: the Factors That Contribute to it and Effective Strategies That Combat it [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/201