Beyond Resilience: Arming Special Education Teachers With “Hope Theory” in the Fight Against Burnout
Program
Special Education M.A.
Number of Pages
100
Year Approved
2023
First Advisor
Cavalier, Meghan
Second Reader
Erin Wanat
Abstract
Teachers have been forced to face many new workplace challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in March 2020; this has resulted in increased job-related stress. Pre-pandemic, teacher stress levels were already much higher than other occupations and strongly linked to teacher attrition. The majority of research in the field of special education, identifies “burnout” as the leading predictor of teacher attrition. Indeed, burnout has been dubbed the “reward for overwork” and the end result is exhaustion, depersonalization, a sense of inefficacy and often a departure from the field of education. The following research explores the destructive nature and scope of teacher burnout, existing intervention and prevention strategies, and the complementary role Hope Theory may play in adding to the psychological armor of special education teachers in their fight against burnout.
Degree Name
Special Education M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
Buchwald-McGlennon, E. E. (2023). Beyond Resilience: Arming Special Education Teachers With “Hope Theory” in the Fight Against Burnout [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/973