Perceived Social Support and Burnout of Special Education Teachers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Social support is significantly correlated with burnout of special education teachers, but mixed results have been shown depending on which aspects of social support and burnout were investigated. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the correlations between social support and burnout based on the overall characteristics and specific dimensional characteristics of these two variables. In nine selected studies comprising 1,940 special education teachers, overall social support was negatively and moderately related to overall burnout and three burnout dimensions. Regarding the types of support, emotional support was especially important in burnout reduction, but more research is needed because of an insufficient number of previous studies. Among the support sources, support from administrators and colleague teachers in particular was an essential correlate of burnout. Practical implications for special education teachers, the limitations of this study, and directions for future studies are suggested.