Education Research Quarterly
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Education Research Quarterly

Occupational burden and burnout – key barriers to supporting the professional well-being of teachers

2025, 70, No. 4

Małgorzata Żytko

0000-0002-1191-9894

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education

Joanna Dobkowska

0000-0001-9708-659X

University of Warsaw

Aleksandra Jasińska-Maciążek

0000-0001-9975-4141

Educational Research Institute in Warsaw

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education, Department of Education Policy and Social Research on Education

Warsaw University

Anna Zielińska

0000-0002-7686-2673

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Education

DOI

10.31338/2657-6007.kp.2025-4.8

Publication date

20.12.2025

Publishing model

hybrid

License type

CC BY 4.0 Int.

Field

Dziedzina nauk społecznych

Discipline

pedagogika

Language of publication

English

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PDF 584 KB

Article

Number of views:103

Number of downloads:82

Crossref citations:0

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Abstract

This study, part of an international Erasmus+ project, investigated the occupational burdens and their relationship with professional burnout among 443 primary school teachers in Warsaw, Poland. Using a comprehensive questionnaire, the research assessed five burden domains (organisational, classroom, parental, staff, and systemic) and two burnout dimensions (exhaustion and disengagement). The results identified systemic conditions - primarily low pay, a lack of societal respect, and frequent legislative changes - as the most intensely perceived burdens. Challenging relationships with parents, marked by their disengagement and high expectations, also emerged as a significant source of strain. Conversely, interpersonal dynamics within schools, particularly with leadership, were reported as least problematic. As hypothesised, all burden domains were positively correlated with burnout. Critically, emotional exhaustion was most strongly linked not to the major systemic issues, but to the cumulative pressure of daily operational demands. These included organisational conditions (e.g., excessive paperwork, diverse student needs) and classroom management challenges. This highlights how routine stressors directly deplete teachers’ energy. The study concludes that while systemic reforms are vital, mitigating teacher burnout requires immediate, school-level interventions to reduce administrative overload, enhance teacher influence on decision-making, and foster shared educational responsibility with parents.

Keywords:

teacher well-being,occupational burden,professional burnout,job demands–resources model

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