Teaching Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Teachers’ Burnout Profiles and Classroom Management

Abstract

Teachers may have affective responses to teaching students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) that influence their effectiveness. We used latent profile analysis to examine the burnout profiles of 102 K–Grade 6 general education and special education teachers who had students with or at risk for EBD in their classrooms. We then examined if profile membership varied by teacher type (special education vs. general education) and if profile membership was related to teachers’ directly observed classroom management skills. Our results suggest that teachers exhibit three burnout profiles: “flourishing,” “buffered,” and “struggling”; that profile membership did not vary by teacher type; and that burnout profiles were related to teachers’ classroom management skills. These findings suggest teachers may need differential supports when working with students who have EBD and provide directions for future research regarding the association between teacher affect and classroom instruction.