| Burnout, a problem that relates to an individual's occupation or vocational life, is a prolonged manifestation of emotional exhaustion, cynicism related to work, physical ailments, and reduced accomplishment of work tasks. Recently, the literature has shown that faculty in higher education experience Burnout as do other professions. However, there is limited research documenting the occupational experiences---including the manifestation of Burnout---in counselor educators. Furthermore, a primary theme within the Burnout literature is the struggle to understand the etiology of the construct. Currently, there are two primary theories regarding the etiology of Burnout: (a) external or environmental factors are more responsible in the manifestation of Burnout, and (b) internal factors such as human personality traits or coping styles are more responsible in the manifestation of Burnout.;The purpose of this study was to determine if counselor educators experience Burnout and to examine the variables associated with it. Specifically, this study analyzed Burnout against both external and internal variables. A sample consisting of 289 counselor educators teaching in CACREP-accredited programs across the United States was administered a survey that measured Burnout, Trait Emotional Intelligence (Trait EI), and demographic variables. Overall, Burnout was low in the sample. There was a moderate, negative correlation between Burnout and Trait EI. Only two of the external variables yielded significant relationships to Burnout: academic rank and age. Tenure status, length of time working as a counselor educator, percentage of work load teaching, percentage of workload researching, percentage of workload performing service, gender, religion, and race and ethnic background were all independent of Burnout. Future research should consider the interchange of both external factors and internal factors in workers experiencing occupational stress and Burnout. |
