| This study consisted of a pilot study and two cross-sectional surveys. The psychometric properties of the instruments were initially studied in the pilot study and further examined in the two cross-sectional surveys. The first cross-sectional survey aimed to establish the normative information of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) in a clustered random sample of 1,797 Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The second cross-sectional survey was to study the relationships among burnout, occupational stress, self-concept, purpose in life and teachers' demographic characteristics in a convenient sample of 746 secondary school teachers.;Results showed that the Emotional Exhaustion and Reduced Personal Accomplishment of Hong Kong teachers were similar to those of North American teachers. However, Hong Kong teachers reported a much lower score in Depersonalization than North American teachers. Percentile tables were developed for each burnout syndrome for different comparison groups. This normative information has practical implications for serving teachers, school administrators and helping professionals.;Results showed that all teacher burnout aspects were related to teachers' demographic variables, sources of stress, self-concept subscales and meaning of life. Male teachers reported lower Emotional Exhaustion, higher Depersonalization and higher Personal Accomplishment. Teachers who were younger, unmarried, less experienced, without finishing professional training, with junior rank reported more burnout. However, the effect of demographic variables on each burnout syndrome was not that dominant. Besides, results of multiple regression analysis showed that stress induced by heavy workload was the best predictor for Emotional Exhaustion while stress induced by pupil misbehavior was a significant predictor for all burnout syndromes; Pedagogical self-concept was also a significant predictor for all burnout syndromes; the total score of purpose in life was the best predictor for both Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment and the second best predictor for Emotional Exhaustion as well.;Furthermore, structural equation modeling procedures were adopted to compare the direct effect model, the mediational model, the direct-and-mediational model and the moderated effect model of different aspects of teacher burnout, various sources of stress, pedagogical self-concept and purpose in life. For comparison, a direct-and-mediational model was better fitted to the data. The direct effect of stress on burnout could be mediated through pedagogical self-concept and purpose in life. Consistent with the findings of multiple regression analyses, the results implied an existential perspective might, to a large extent, help to explain the burnout situation of Hong Kong secondary school teachers. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
