Special Education Teacher Burnout: Examining the Role of Educator Preparation Programs in Prevention

<p>Teacher burnout is increasingly problematic, especially for special education teachers who have a unique set of job responsibilities. Survey and interview data was used in this phenomenological study to examine how the educator preparation program (EPP) experience and self-authorship journey of early career special education teachers impact their potential to experience burnout. Data findings regarding level of self-perceived burnout, recollections of being or not being taught stress management and coping strategies in their EPPs, recollections of the self-authorship journey, and intentions for remaining in the career are shared in this dissertation. The essence of this phenomenon can be summed up as such: individuals are going into special education because of a passion, but many special education teachers are experiencing mental health symptoms because of their career and/or are experiencing some degree of self-perceived burnout. Fortunately, the results of this study can help EPPs improve pre-service teacher preparation with the aim of improving rates of mental health distress and teacher burnout.</p> <p><em>Keywords</em>: self-authorship, educator preparation program (EPP), wellbeing, teacher self-efficacy, burnout</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Higher Education Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Straub, Brittany L.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Jaclyn Rivard
• Dr. Judah Viola
• Dr. Sherri Bressman

• self-authorship
• educator preparation program (EPP)
• wellbeing
• teacher self-efficacy
• burnout
• Adult and Continuing Education
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Educational Leadership
• Elementary Education
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Higher Education
• Higher Education and Teaching
• Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching
• Mental and Social Health
• Other Teacher Education and Professional Development
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Secondary Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Special Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education and Professional Development

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/642

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-1694