Gender Differences in Academic Burnout Among Childhood Education Students

Francisca C Okeke,Lambert Peter Ukanga,Anthonia N Ngwoke,Juliana N Ejiofor,Clara O Ifelunni,Edith Okpala,Anthonia O Aneke,Adaorah Onuorah

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v12n5p57

Abstract

This research examined the level of academic burnout as experienced by male and female childhood education students in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions in the South-east zone. Sixty (60) conveniently sampled childhood education students from public colleges of education and public universities were the respondents of this descriptive survey. A well-validated questionnaire assessing academic burnout in students was used for data collection. We used independent t-test for analysis of data collected. Results showed no significant difference in mean academic burnout among the male and female students. School-driven interventions are required to help these students in reducing academic burnout concerns.

Highlights

Gender is an achieved status which is constructed through psychological, cultural, and social means (West & Zimmerman, 2013)
School-driven interventions are required to help these students in reducing academic burnout concerns
The result on academic burnout subscales in table 2 showed that the female childhood education students experience burnout mostly as exhaustion (26.21±4.47; BCa95%CI=24.88 - 27.59) than the male students (25.23±2.98; BCa95% CI=24.00 - 26.47)

Summary

Introduction

Gender is an achieved status which is constructed through psychological, cultural, and social means (West & Zimmerman, 2013). The concept of gender includes the expectations held about the characteristics, aptitudes and likely behaviours of both women and men (femininity and masculinity) (March, & Smyth, 2003). Gender is a socially constructed norms and ideologies which determine the behaviour and actions of men and women (Kangas et al, 2014). Academic burnout is a situation that can affect students in many ways. It reduces productivity and satisfaction in education; increased rates of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety and a plethora of physical problems; including increased inflammation biomarkers and cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, fatigue, lowered immunity, headaches, and gastrointestinal distress (Norez, 2017). Study found that, when there is an increase in the level of burnout in students, it decreases the student’s learning ability and performances, and negatively affect their health condition (Rana, 2016)

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