Abstract:

Teaching is known to be a stressful profession which may lead teachers to experience burnout (e.g., Travers, 2017). Conversely, engaged teachers experience positive work-related emotions, are more active, happier (Rodríguez-Muñoz et al., 2014), more open to new experiences, and have a more creative approach to job opportunities (Bakker & Xanthopoulou, 2013). Interestingly, teachers’ levels of work engagement are associated with low burnout levels and positive attitudes toward new learning opportunities during teachers' careers (Heinz, 2015; Fiorilli et al., 2018). Recently, the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) competencies have been evaluated as key skills for the new millennium learners (OECD, 2019), which asks for competent teachers able to face this new challenge. Indeed, despite strong labor-market outcomes for graduates with qualifications in ICT the share of adults electing to study, these subjects is relatively low across the OECD. Addressing the relationship among the aforementioned dimensions could impact on professional training programs as well as prevention programs focused on teachers' burnout and engagement. The aim of the current study was to investigate the differences between high and low engaged teachers groups on their burnout level and attitudes towards professional training on ICT competences. Participants were 358 teachers, 88% female, mean age M=49.25 (SD=7.44). The following self-report questionnaires were used: the burnout level (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Fiorilli et al., 2015) (Alpha=.92); the work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Pisanti et al., 2008) (Alpha=.95). Finally, an ad hoc questionnaire was built to estimate teachers' attitudes toward ICT training (Alpha=.62). Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used to analyze the collected data using SPSS 24. Two teacher groups (high versus low engaged) were defined on the base of their median score on the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale). The main results showed that High Engaged teachers compared with Low Engaged teachers have a significantly low score on the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (F(1/356)=57.47, p<.01). Similarly, High Engaged teachers show a higher mean score on their attitude toward ICT training (F(1/356) =7.33, p<.01), than their colleagues with low engagement toward their work. Overall, findings suggest that teachers who appear resistant and/or disengaged to acquire ICT competences show also low engagement and high burnout. Further studies could be deeply analyzed by teacher group differences by explaining variance in a regression model. On the base of the current results we may hypothesis that work engagement variables may play a key role involving teachers in new learning opportunities during their career development (i.e., developing ICT competences) and helping to contain burnout.

Keywords:

Teachers, engagement, burnout, ICT.