Burnout Among School Teachers in India: A Review of the Literature
Pandey, Shruti1
1PhD Research Scholar, Department of Psychology, Faculty: Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences, Shri Venkateshwara University, Uttar Pradesh
Sayed, Soofia2
2Research Guide, Department of Psychology, Faculty: Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences. Shri Venkateshwara University, Uttar Pradesh
Abstract
Among teachers in India, burnout is pervasive and has far-reaching implications for their well-being, efficiency in teaching as well as outcomes of their students. This review seeks to provide a complete literature summary on teacher burnout in the country, addressing its incidence, causatives, ramifications, and possible approaches to handling it. A search through major databases identified 50 relevant papers. It was discovered that teacher burnout in India is characterized by heightened emotional exhaustion cases, depersonalization together with low personal accomplishment rates. Predictors of burnout include excessive workload, lack of autonomy or control unrealistic expectations, poor working conditions and low pay and benefits. Burnout manifests itself through various ways including mental illnesses like depression and physical health problems such as fatigue; loss of productivity; and intentions to quit work soonest possible. The interventions should be based on supporting evidence. These will include workload management strategies for the teachers’ support in decision making processes among other intervention techniques. This paper therefore recommends that evidence-based interventions like workload management strategies and autonomy support systems be put in place to tackle this issue.
Keywords: Burnout, Teacher Stress, Mental Health, Teaching, Workload
Impact Statement
That is to say that the critical insights, for example, those learned during a review on the burnout of school teachers in India by Shruti Pandey and Dr. Soofia Sayed, give critical insights into the harmful effects of burnout on teachers. Their comprehensive analysis of 50 studies emphasizes the fact that there is an urgent need for systemic interventions to address the root causes of burnout: excessive workloads, inadequate control over work, and insufficient rewards. It has been established that teacher burnout adversely affects quality teaching and student outcomes in addition to personal well-being. The best available evidence on better management of workloads and improved support systems, therefore, is of interest to policymakers and educational institutions in light of their applicability. The review thus advocates for implementation as a key reform support toward creating healthier work environments, improving teacher retention, and fostering high-quality education for students. The significance of this study lies in the hope that it holds for effecting meaningful changes in actual educational practices and policies, with overall benefits to the educators and students alike in the whole of India.
About Author
Ms. Shruti Pandey is a Practising Counsellor trained from NCERT, New Delhi and Resource Person for CBSE, NCERT, NDMC. Ms. Pandey is currently working as a master trainer for mental health related themes and practising as a Counsellor. She has supervised counselling sessions for Diploma in Guidance and Counselling at NCERT. She is an active member of Manodarpan Initiative NCERT and takes live tv sessions at PMEVIDYA Channel. Furthermore, she is also registered in ‘Prasar Bharti’ and has conducted live TV Talk Shows on Doordarshan (DD National). She is also registered as the International Affiliate Member of American Psychological Association. She has conducted CBSE Capacity Building Programme in more than 170 schools of Delhi NCR along with POCSO/POSH training for more than 300 NDMC Principals and Head of Schools. Ms. Pandey is a registered career counsellor at National Career Service under the Ministry of Employment and Labour. She has worked with IB Global schools and CBSE school as Senior School Counsellor.
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