An analysis of the conceptual link between stress, emotional labour and burnout among teachers in further education (FE) in the U.K.

Abstract

The extent to which stressors found in FE and adult education are associated with emotional labour and burnout has yet to be elucidated (Rasheed-Karim, 2020). A more extensive examination is made of the extent to which stressors impact on teachers in further and adult education, and the extent to which this can result in emotional labour and burnout. A mixed methods approach was taken where participants (post14/16 teachers N=61) completed the Emotional Labour Scale (Brotheridge & Lee, 2010) and Burnout Scale (Maslach, 1993) in addition to free-flow responses to questions concerning the types of stressors they experience in the workplace. The emergent themes indicated the main stressors were workloads on managers who also teach and teachers’ lack of satisfaction with their attitudes to practice.  Others included student behaviours and government legislation and policy. The results according to the emotional labour scale for educators and the burnout scale indicated that teachers used emotions as part of their job role. Teachers did not use stressors in a negative way but would use stressors as facilitators of emotional labour which helped them to counteract the negative aspects of burnout. In opposition to the prevailing view, the current findings showed there is a link between stressors, emotional labour and burnout.  Furthermore, surface acting was associated with teachers who worked in basic skills, health and teacher training as well as those who worked between 18-25 hours and over 31 hours.  The results have implications for change in policy and practice in FE