Occupational Burnout among Special Educators

Abstract

Occupational burnout is a phenomenon manifested through depersonalisation, emotional exhaustion and reduced job satisfaction. This syndrome is primarily associated with helping professions, which include the work of a special educator. Experiencing symptoms of burnout by special educators may reduce not only their quality of life, but also the effectiveness of their interventions with clients. Starting from the presentation of Maslach’s concept of occupational burnout, an attempt was made to briefly characterise the specificity of the special educator’s work and to indicate potential sources of the burnout syndrome, moving on to the presentation of selected sociodemographic variables that may differentiate its level. The aim of the research was an attempt to determine the level of occupational burnout and to check whether selected demographic and social factors, such as age, type of institution and its location, differentiate the level of occupational burnout of special educators. The research used a diagnostic survey method with the use of a questionnaire technique. The results showed that special educators do not experience strong occupational burnout and demonstrate relatively high personal commitment. The analyses also showed that the age of special educators differentiates two components of professional burnout: depersonalisation and personal commitment.