The relationship between patience and burnout in teachers

The present study was conducted to determine the correlation between patience and burnout based on the views of primary school teachers employed in public schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education. The quantitative dimension of the study, which was designed with the explanatory sequential mixed method, was conducted with the relational survey model, and the qualitative dimension was conducted based on the phenomenology method. The study population included primary school teachers employed in public primary schools in Ordu province, Turkey. The quantitative study sample was assigned with the stratified sampling method and included 910 primary school teachers employed in 97 primary schools. The qualitative study sample included 16 teachers in the quantitative study sample and assigned with the maximum diversity sampling method. The quantitative study data were collected with two scales, namely the "Teacher Patience Scale" to determine the patience levels of the teachers, and the "Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Form" to determine the burnout levels. Qualitative study data were collected with a semi-structured interview form. The quantitative data were analyzed with parametric tests in statistical software. Thus, the "Independent Samples t-Test" was employed to compare paired groups, and "One-Way ANOVA for Independent Samples" was used to compare more than two groups. Multilinear regression analysis was conducted to determine to what extent teachers' patience levels predicted their burnout levels. Descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean and standard deviation were also employed in data analysis. The significance level was accepted as .05 in statistical analyzes. Qualitative study data were analyzed with descriptive analysis. The quantitative study findings revealed that the patience levels of the primary school teachers in both general patience and instruction and interaction dimensions were "very high", and burnout level findings demonstrated that teachers experienced "low" level of burnout in emotional burnout and personal achievement dimensions, and "very low" level of burnout in the depersonalization dimension. In the study, it was determined that there was a moderately significant correlation between the patience and burnout sub-dimensions. There was a negative correlation between patience levels and emotional exhaustion and depersonalization levels of the primary school teachers, while a positive correlation was determined between patience levels and personal achievement levels. In other words, as patience levels of the teachers increased, their emotional exhaustion and depersonalization levels decreased, and personal achievements increased. The qualitative dimension of the study revealed that negative student behavior, the negative impact of the pandemic, students with special conditions, the anxiety about incompletion of the curriculum requirements, and students who do not fulfill their responsibilities were the factors that affected the patience levels of the teachers in the instruction dimension. According to the teachers, the factors that most affected their patience levels in the interaction dimension included negative parental approaches, insistency of the administration, the indifferent and insensitive parental attitudes, unjust attitudes of the administrators, and selfishness of education shareholders. Teachers stated that the factors that affected their emotional burnout included disreputation of the teaching profession, high workload, non-educational duties, economic problems and stress, and the factors that most affected their depersonalization were parental indifference, negative attitudes, and lack of empathy. According to the teachers, the factors that most affected their burnout levels in the personal achievement dimension included their inability to follow up innovations, lack of positive student feedback, parental feedback, familial and economic problems, and communication problems with parents and administration. Finally, recommendations are presented in the study to improve the patience levels and reduce professional burnout of the teachers.