Emotional labor, job stress, and burnout of private primary and secondary schools towards a healthy life balance

Abstract

This study delved into the intricate connection between emotional labor, job stress, and burnout among 193 nurturing educators from private primary and secondary schools at Shaoguan Experimental School in Guangdong, China. Using a descriptive-correlation approach, it leaned on the wisdom encapsulated in tried-and-true text like the MBI-GS questionnaire revised by Li Chaoping (2002), the self-assessment tool for burnout by Christina Maslach, and the insights of Cem Şafak Cukur.In the labyrinth of high-pressure teaching, the educators at Shaoguan Experimental School face towering stress levels and tread the middling grounds of burnout. The profound findings unravel a consistent, positive connective thread between Job Stress, Emotional Labor, and Job Burnout — a connection that swings from moderate to strong ties. The varying strains of emotional labor strike noteworthy chords. Surface Acting shows a potential yet slightly significant regulating influence. Active Deep Acting wields a substantial mediating effect, while Passive Deep Acting merely whispers with an almost imperceptible impact.The researcher recommends programs such as Job Stress Education, Meditation Exercises, Dance Movement Therapy, Flexible Scheduling, and Contextualized Seminars and pieces of training in attaining a healthy life balance based on the study's findings. Schools should develop strategies to mitigate job stressors, cultivate supportive and collaborative work, establish initiatives to support teachers' emotional well-being, offer further training programs on emotional labor management, and advocate for a balanced approach to emotional labor. Conversely, teachers should commit to the programs and play proactive roles in improving them.