Promoting Sustainable Well-Being: Burnout and Engagement in South African Learners

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the latent profiles of burnout and engagement of learners and to investigate differences between these profiles regarding demographic and contextual variables and academic boredom. The findings have practical implications for educators and professionals in the fields of education and psychology. Grade 9 and 10 South African learners (N = 544) studying English and Mathematics as school subjects participated in the study. Five learner burnout and engagement profiles were identified: healthy engaged (10.66%), moderately balanced (27.57%), slightly disengaged (30.7%), moderately burned-out (20.4%), and burned-out (10.66%). Academic boredom in Mathematics and English was linked to burnout-engagement profiles. The healthy engaged and moderately balanced profiles exhibited significantly lower academic boredom levels in both subjects than the other profiles. Positive relationships with teachers and interest in the subject were crucial across all profiles to diminish academic boredom and enhance engagement, especially in English. Various demographic and contextual variables were associated with burnout-engagement profiles. Home study environments, nurturing positive teacher-learner relationships, and fostering intrinsic interest in subjects can enhance engagement and mitigate burnout in secondary school learners. Sustainable interventions could be created by teachers or researchers, implemented by schools, and taken up in important policies within South Africa, showcasing how the SGDs of improved health and well-being and delivering quality education could be achieved.