PILOT STUDY OF TEACHER BURNOUT IN GEORGIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

Modern schools have multiple demands to teachers causing prolonged stress often resulting in professional burnout. Research on teacher burnout is conducted at various countries of the world. Taking into account the significance of such research, two pilot research studies were conducted in Georgia. The objectives of the studies were to test the hypothesis that the majority of Georgian teachers are experiencing high burnout and simultaneously to test the adopted translated instruments for measuring burnout and proactive coping strategies. The first study surveyed 85 subjects and the second study - 193 subjects. For conducting pilot surveys an abridged version of Maslach–Burnout Self Test in combination with Greenglass’s 4 point-scale Proactive Coping Inventory and Maslach Educators Survey (MBI-ES) translated into Georgian language were used. The results of the first pilot study, in contrary to the hypothesis expecting to identify high burnout among Georgian teachers, showed that teachers have little signs of burnout and have high and moderate coping skills. In the second pilot study the hypothesis was partially confirmed in the Emotional Exhaustion aspect of burnout. For Emotional Exhaustion subscale the majority of the surveyed teachers showed moderate and high burnout. Teachers showed high scores on Personal Accomplishment subscale and low burnout on Depersonalization subscale. Key words: burnout, coping, distress, stress, teacher.