Abstract:

Teachers' burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of achievement sense, has been exacerbated in recent years by frequent reforms, the COVID-19 pandemic, and 'Iron Swords War'. Addressing this issue is paramount for the stability of educational systems, as it adversely affects academic outcomes, school environment, teacher well-being, and ultimately results in attrition. According to the stress and coping model, teachers interpret events as stressful or challenging based on their perceived coping ability and available resources. School principals act as a vital resource for teachers by shaping the institution's culture. Thus, this study aims to explore teachers' perceptions of three primary leadership styles: instructional, transformational, and authentic, exhibited by school principals and their impact on teachers' burnout. These positive leadership styles have the potential to enhance teachers' coping mechanisms, enabling them to perceive school-related stressors as challenges. Analysis of data collected from 2,234 teachers nationwide, through questionnaires assessing teacher burnout, leadership styles, and demographic information, revealed significant findings. Authentic leadership emerged as the only predictor in reducing burnout, while transformational and instructional leadership styles exhibited negative correlations with burnout but did not predict burnout reduction. Based on these results, practical recommendations are proposed for training future educational leaders, emphasizing the cultivation of authentic leadership qualities to combat teacher attrition and foster a healthier educational environment.

Keywords:

Teachers, burnout, instructional leadership, transformational leadership, authentic leadership.