An Examination of Teacher's Occupational Burnout Levels In
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Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri • Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice - 11(4) • Autumn • 1841-1847 ©2011 Eğitim Danışmanlığı ve Araştırmaları İletişim Hizmetleri Tic. Ltd. Şti. An Examination of Teacher’s Occupational Burnout Levels in terms of Organizational Confidence and Some Other Variables Çağlar ÇAĞLAR a Adıyaman University Abstract An effort is made in this research to determine the correlations between primary school teachers’ levels of con- fidence in their organization and their burnout levels and other variables. The research population is composed of teachers teaching in the primary schools located in the city center of Adıyaman in 2009-2010 academic year whereas the sample is made up of 325 teachers teaching at 13 primary schools chosen by using stratified samp- ling. “Personal information Forms”, “a multi-purpose T scale” and “Maslach’s Burnout Scale” were used so as to gather the data. Mann Whitney U, Kruskall Wallis H tests as well as Spearman’s correlation analysis were employed in the analysis of the data obtained. Consequently, it was found out that the organizational trust level of the primary teachers was medium-level and their burnout levels were medium as well. By analyzing the data significant differences were found in the variables of age, branch and the number of teachers on the dimension of trust; in the variable of marital status in burn out dimension; and in the variables of seniority and age in the dimensions of trust and burn out levels between groups. On examining the correlations between organizational confidence levels and burnout levels, a low negative relation was found. Key Words Organizational Trust, Burnout, Primary Schools.. Trust, which is defined as adherence with no fear, due to the fact that high levels of trust lead to the hesitation or doubt in Turkish dictionary (Türk emergence of various types of relations. In socie- Dil Kurumu [TDK], 1998), is one of the factors ties with low confidence levels, however, individu- which assures that social life, which is made up als find themselves in an environment where there of complex relations one inside another, is sus- is a system of formal rules and regulations forcing tained in a healthy way (Tschannen-Moran & them to make bargains, to agree and to take legal Hoy, 2000). Societies which are composed of in- actions. In societies with such regulations, oppres- dividuals having confidence in each other display sive methods forcing individuals to act in accord- higher success in terms of organizational novelties ance with predetermined rules are always on the agenda inevitably (Fukuyama, 1998). According to Lashinger and Finegan (2005), lack a PhD. Çağlar Çağlar is currently an Assistant of respect and confidence in a work environment Professor at the Department of Educational Sciences, Education Administration Supervision has harmful effects on both the organization and Planning and Economics. His research interests the employee. An employee with no confidence include organizational behavior. Correspon- makes fewer contributions to organizational ob- dence: Assist. Prof. Çağlar Çağlar. Adiyaman jectives and actions than one with confidence University, Faculty of Education, Department of (cited in Tüzün 2007). Confidence is regarded as Education Administration Supervision Planning an important factor for the success of an organiza- and Economics, Adıyaman/Turkey. E-mail: ccag- [email protected] Phone: +90 416 223 3800. tion whereas lack of confidence damages the har- 1841 EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES: THEORY & PRACTICE mony and success in an organization (Adams & Organizational confidence is influential in nu- Wiswell, 2008). merous variables. Confidence within schools has significant effects on facilitating the cooperation Organizations’ preference for oppressive methods (Tshannen-Moran, 2001), developing an open to make the employees adhere to the rules causes school culture (Hoffmann et al., 1994), encourag- the employees not to get job satisfaction and to be- ing group loyalty, on school leadership and stu- come indifferent to the organization. Today, when dents’ achievement (Goddard, Tschannen-Moran, the rapid changes experienced force organizations & Hoy, 2001), and on (Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, to change and reform, organizations’ coping with 2003) improving school quality (cited in Polat, the challenge depends on their ability to create an 2007). In a similar vein, research results have environment in which employees have relations demonstrated that positive correlations are avail- on confidence basis, they are loyal to the organi- able between organizational confidence and the zation and have certain amount of job satisfaction concepts of teachers’ life satisfaction (Yılmaz & rather than an environment in which employees Sünbül, 2009), organizational atmosphere (Özdil, are kept together through oppressive methods. 2005), organizational change (Lenz, 2005), and Evidently, an organizational culture based on con- burnout (Ceyanes, 2004). fidence is very important for educational organi- zations, where human relations are experienced The level of confidence within school organiza- more often, to cope with uncertainties caused by tions is the outcome of the relations in schools. changes and to innovate themselves. The confidence at schools is a fact containing the democracy, gains and accountability (Meier, 2002). According to Tshanmen-Moran and Hoy (1998), Organisational Confidence confidence is an important factor in attaining the Organizational confidence is the state of trust on success in schools and in establishing a better envi- the organization and is based upon organizational ronment of healthy relations between teachers and roles, relations and experiences, and it consists of between teachers and administrators and of peda- the organization members’ positive expectations gogical efficiency (cited in Ercan, 2006). Research of other members’ intention and attitudes (Tüzün, results show that the students and teachers being in 2007). While Perry and Mankin (2004) were de- the classes in which the level of confidence is high scribing the organization trust as the general be- spend more time for learning activities compared lief and sureness of the members of the organi- to low ones (Baloche, 1998 as cited in Ceyanes, zation against the ability and qualification of the 2004). The applicability of the new management directors Mishara (1996), was describing it as the approaches such as the participation of parents awareness will of the people in the organization in school management, participatory decision for the aim, norm and values of the organization making and school-based management and the and being honest and realistic to each other. Thus, new instructional approaches such as cooperative confidence forms the foundation of all the intra- learning and project-based learning in school de- organizational relations both horizontally and pends on the existence of the feeling of confidence vertically. (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2000). Organizational confidence, which arises in conse- quence of the consistent relations established be- Burnout tween the employees in an organization (Demirel, Burnout, which is defined as the state of losing 2008), has functions in reducing the costs, in ig- one’s strength, not being able to make efforts by niting cooperation between members, leading to Turkish dictionary (TDK, 1998), is frequently en- willingness to make extra contributions, facilitat- countered in professions offering help to people ing obeying the organizational rules and in mini- and in individuals working in environments of mizing the conflicts (Erdem, 2003). frequent affective demands for long as well as in Organizational confidence may develop in con- those who are very eager to serve to people (Çok- sequence of a set of factors such as clear com- luk, 2000). munication, employees’ involvement in the deci- The concept of burnout is defined as an occupa- sion-making process, sharing the knowledge and tional stress stemming from running out of ener- information, and sharing the emotions and expec- gy, loss of strength and dissatisfied desires which tations in the right way (Gilbert & Tang, 1998). is encountered by those who deal with people 1842 ÇAĞLAR / An Examination of Teacher’s Occupational Burnout Levels in terms of Organizational Confidence and... and which leads to emotional burning out (Del- rioration in physical and mental health (Çokluk, iorman, Boz, Yiğit, & Yıldız, 2009). Pines, Elliot 2000). A problematic, anxious and unhappy teach- and Kafry (1981) define burnout as the physical, er influences the students in a negative way while emotional and mental exhaustion stemming from a tolerant, calm and supportive teacher has posi- emotional pressures caused by intense relations tive influences on the students (Girgin, 2010). The with people (cited in Ayalon, 1989). stress and burnout of teachers have significant ef- fects on parents, administrators, students and their Maslach and Jackson (1981) suggest that burnout, parents. These are also either directly or indirectly which is experienced by those with intense human reflected upon the entire society (Friedman & Far- relations, is a syndrome with three components ber, 1992 as cited in Çokluk, 2000). called emotional burnout, desensitization and de- crease in the feeling of success. Emotional burn- This research aims to determine the level of organi- out is defined as an individual’s tiredness and an zational confidence perceived by primary school increase in feeling that