The study of exploring the burnout and life satisfaction levels of teachers who have been working with students with special needs

The purpose of this study is to explore burnout and life satisfaction levels of teachers who have been working with students with special needs (e.g., students with intellectual disability, autism and multiple disabilities) in special education schools according to some variables such as age, gender, years of experience, and school type of teachers. The study is both a descriptive and relational study. Data were collected from 292 teachers working Anatolia side of Istanbul by using Maslach Burnout Inventory and Life Satisfaction Scale. Out of 292, 179 were male, 113 were female teachers. Mean of age of teachers 39.34 (SD: 12.55). Teachers have been working with either students with intellectual disability, autism or multiple disabilities.Results revealed that teachers had a moderate level of burnout. Results also showed that there was no significant difference between male and female teachers on burnout scores both on total and subscale scores. There was also no significant difference between teachers regarding their age on total score. However, there was a negative relationship between age and desensitization subscale.While exploring whether the teachers' burnout levels differentiated according to years of their experience or not, results showed that there was no significant difference on total MBI scores. Besides, there also was no significant difference on the scores of the subscales "personal achievement" and "emotional exhaustion" just like total scores.Another question was to explore the teachers? burnout levels according to type of schools in which they worked. Results showed that there was significant difference on total MBI scores and scores of the subscales? "personal achievement" and "desensitization" according to the schools which the participants worked in. Teachers' burnout levels according to the disability types of the students whom they trained was also explored. Results showed that there was no significant difference on total MBI scores and the subscales? scores according to the disability types of the students whom they trained.Regarding life satisfaction levels, results revealed that teachers had a moderate level of life satisfaction also. While exploring the teachers' life satisfaction levels according to their gender, results indicated that female teachers' life satisfaction levels were higher than male teachers' life satisfaction levels. Regarding teachers' life satisfaction levels according to their age, results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between age and life satisfaction. In other words; while age increases, life satisfaction diminishes.Teachers' life satisfaction levels according to years of their experience, type of schools in which they work and disability types of the students whom they trained were also investigated. Results indicated that there was no significant difference on life satisfaction according to each of three variables. The final question was to explore the relation between teachers? burnout levels and their life satisfaction levels. Results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between total MBI scores and MBI subscales' scores and life satisfaction scale scores.It is seen logically that the burnout which individuals experience influences on their life satisfaction. Besides; taking into account the final question's findings with previous questions' findings it was seen that while work conditions, years of experience, school type and disability type of trained students didn't influence on teachers' life satisfaction; gender, age and the other factors effected on their burnout influenced on their life satisfaction. In this case it can be thought that the other factors effected on burnout influence on life satisfaction as indirect or moderator variables not directly.