Components of the university learning environment, academic burnout, and shame among pre-service teachers: A structural equation modelling approach

Previous studies have investigated the connections between university learning environments and academic burnout, as well as between university learning environments and academic shame among students. Also, burnout and shame are related. However, no empirical studies have been conducted to determine the relationships between the university environment, academic shame, and academic burnout among pre-service teachers. To examine this issue, the present study assessed a hypothesized model examining the relationship between the university environment and academic burnout through academic shame as a mediator among pre-service teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, 700 pre-service teachers (114 males and 586 females from the Faculty of Education at Helwan University) were randomly selected for an invitation to complete a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS to develop operating descriptive results. Confirmatory factor analysis was adopted to ensure the construct validity of the instruments used. AMOS software was used to validate the structural equation model (SEM) created using maximum likelihood estimation. The resulting model had a good fit to the data, according to the SEM analysis. The significant standard coefficients of the drawn paths indicated that components of the university environment directly and negatively predicted academic burnout and its components. Also, academic shame directly and positively predicted academic burnout and its components during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the components of the university environment had an indirect effect on academic burnout and its components through the mediation of academic shame during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications are considered, and recommendations are proposed for future research.