Burnout syndrome in teachers in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries implemented social distancing measures as a strategy to reduce the rate of contagion. In the educational field, it highlights the migration from face-to-face classes to virtual classes, which brings with its difficulties and challenges for teachers, as well as a series of requirements, thus increasing the possibility of suffering from the Burnout Syndrome. Therefore, the objective of this research was to analyze the Burnout Syndrome in Peruvian teachers of regular basic education in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research approach was quantitative, non-experimental design and the type of descriptive transectional design. The sample consisted of 209 teachers to whom the Maslach Burnout Inventory was applied, an instrument with adequate levels of reliability and validity. According to the results, the teachers were characterized by presenting a high level of burnout syndrome and emotional exhaustion and a moderate level of depersonalization and professional fulfillment. Likewise, it was found that some sociodemographic variables such as sex, age, and employment status are significantly associated with burnout syndrome. Finally, it was concluded that the decentralized instances of the Ministry of Education must identify and provide continuous socio-emotional support to teachers who require it to promote their well-being and improve the working conditions in which they operate. Likewise, educational institutions must develop intervention programs with the presence of psychologists to reduce the prevalence of burnout syndrome and the affectation that it could cause.