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Dissertation
Exploring teacher burnout: an interpretive case study of primary special education teacher burnout
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Mar 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011291
Abstract
This study sought to address the pressing problem of burnout among primary special education teachers, which negatively affects a teacher's well-being and retention. Using an interpretive case study approach across U.S. School Districts, the research integrates quantitative and qualitative methods to explore this issue in depth. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - Educators Survey (MBI-ES) was employed to provide a descriptive assessment of burnout levels and coping variations, while in-depth interviews captured teachers' subjective experiences and contextual factors contributing to burnout. Findings revealed that burnout manifested primarily as emotional exhaustion influenced by excessive workload, compliance demands, staffing shortages, and administrative responsiveness. Participants described burnout as a systemic issue rather than an individual shortcoming. While teachers employed personal coping strategies to sustain resilience, sustainable mitigation required organizational change. The integration of MBI-ES results and qualitative data demonstrated elevated emotional exhaustion, moderate depersonalization, and variability in personal accomplishment, reinforcing burnout as a multidimensional phenomenon.
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Details
- Title
- Exploring teacher burnout
- Creators
- Xiomara Michele Williams
- Contributors
- Christina M. Vorndran (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- 131 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022168656304721