Causes of Burnout among Primary School Teachers within Kericho Municipality, Kenya

Abstract

Teacher burnout which has been identified as one type of chronic response to the cumulative impact of work stress has become a topic of research mow recently. Most teachers who experienced stress also became burnout. Numerous individual, organisational and situational causes have been implicated in causing burnout. Burnout normally have a negative impact on the teachers themselves and on the pupils they teach In order to attempt to reduce burnout for one individual factors causing burnout specific to that individual in that specific environment need to be examined. Most teachers at the present feel that the satisfaction of teaching is no longer commensurate with the stress resulting from teaching Burnout teachers teach without much enthusiasm or commitment they once had. This study examined the state of burnout based on the age, gender. teaching experience, type of school and employment level. The study was a survey and targeted population was 300 teachers. A sample of 62 teachers was obtained through simple random sampling and stratified sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics with the aid of a computer programme, a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The study found that low salaries and fewer opportunities for promotion were the most contributing factors to teacher burnout within the municipality. There should be deliberate and concerted efforts to improve teachers’ salaries and creation of more responsibilities for teachers in primary schools. The findings for the study are expected to be useful to the ministry of education in establishing burnout eradication in educational institutions and primary schools in particular.