Personality and socio-demographic variables in teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a latent profile analysis

Abstract

Although it is well-known that teaching is one of the most stressful jobs, teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic has not been thoroughly investigated. The main aims of this study were to identify distinct teacher burnout profiles and examine their association with HEXACO personality factors and sociodemographic variables. Data were collected from 522 teachers (77% women; Mage = 37.45 years, SD = 9.28) in November 2021. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified five latent profiles: “No burnout risk” (41.3%), “Low burnout risk” (21.9%), “Cynics” (7.7%), “Exhausted and cynics” (16.1%), and “High burnout risk” (13%). Our results showed a significant correlation between all six HEXACO personality traits and teacher burnout based on the variable-centered method, but the LPA highlighted that only the emotionality trait was antecedent of profile membership. In terms of sociodemographic variables, gender and rural/urban teaching environment did not have significant impact on teacher burnout profiles, but professional experience did. This study is the first to explore teacher burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to dispositional traits based on the HEXACO model using a person-centered approach. Our results can inform specialists about the role of emotionality in the occurrence of teacher burnout and the greater vulnerability of experienced teachers in the context of remote learning. Tailored programs of intervention are necessary.