Contribution Of Emotional Exhaustion Towards Depersonalization Among Teachers

Abstract

Teaching is a multi-dimensional profession and teachers have to be dynamic as they have to work simultaneously on various issues. The multi dynamic nature of their profession puts heavy demands on the shoulders of working teachers. Changing socio technic scenario and societal demands have contributed to responsibilities and practices of teachers. Research provides ample evidence that majority of teacher are under stress and suffer from emotional exhaustion that may lead towards depersonalization among teachers. Teaching is a social endeavor that requires teachers to be socially amiable. Trend toward depersonalization among teachers can deteriorate teaching practices and social nature of this profession. The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of emotional exhaustion towards depersonalization among male and female teachers. Effect of gender on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization was also observed. This study was correlational in nature.  All the working teachers in public schools of districts Sialkot were the population of this study while 360 (180 male &180 female) working teachers were randomly taken as sample for this study. Maslach Burnout Inventory was adapted to measure emotional exhaustion and depersonalization among teachers as emotional exhaustion and depersonalization are two distinct dimensions of burnout. The validity and reliability of the adapted tool to measure emotional exhaustion and depersonalization was assessed through expert opinion and pilot testing (emotional exhaustion α=.83, depersonalization α=.86). Pearson ’r’ was used to find out the contribution of emotional exhaustion towards depersonalization among teachers. The results of correlation showed that emotional exhaustion significantly contribute towards depersonalization among male and female teachers. For Statistical analysis t-test was applied to assess the effects of gender on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization among teachers. The results of test reveal that there is no significant difference in effects of gender on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization among school teachers. Both female and male school teachers are equally prone to become victim of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. On the basis of the results of the study the researchers suggests that a conducive working environment constituting cordial interpersonal relationship and balanced workload should be provided in educational institutions in order to control the factors contributing towards emotional exhaustion to avoid depersonalization among college teachers so that the performance of college teachers may be improved. The researchers recommend more research in this field with different and larger population.