Abstract:

The phenomenon of burnout is often associated with professional life. It is a multidimensional chronic syndrome characterized by exhaustion and depersonalized behavior at work, manifesting as a result of prolonged interpersonal stress. Stress is a major problem in the teaching profession. The teaching profession is associated with a number of stressors resulting from work overload, lack of teaching staff, lack of coping strategies, and a high turnover among teachers. A rapid increase in stress among elementary school teachers results in a high risk of incidence of workplace bullying. Therefore, it is not surprising that burnout syndrome also affects the teaching profession. One of the prevention options is to identify suitable coping strategies. These strategies determine how an individual resolves complex and difficult situations. They represent the ability to cope with an excessive burden; this ability may involve changes in attitudes or changes in the perception of the specific stressful situation. In simple terms, coping strategies determine the method of handling stress. The objective of this research study was to determine the relationship between stress management and the level of burnout in teachers in the Czech Republic. A questionnaire battery was used consisting of the MBI (Maslach Burnout Inventory) evaluating the prevalence of burnout and standardized OSI-R (Occupational Stress Inventory) focusing on emotional and cognitive stress management and coping strategies (personal resources for stress coping). The research population consisted of 262 primary school teachers, with the majority being female. The effects of personal resources for stress coping on each aspect of perceived burnout were analyzed using a series of multiple linear regression analyses. The results showed that the degree of personal resources for coping with work-related stress had a significant effect on all three domains of perceived burnout, with explained variance ranging from 5 to 29.3%.

Keywords:

Burnout syndrome, stress management, teachers.