The Relationship between Self-Regulated Strategies and Burnout: A Teacher Analysis in the EFL Context of Iran

Abstract

The deleterious effects of teacher burnout (academic-related stress) on academic outcomes have been previously established. However, teacher burnout’s relationship with self-regulated strategies as well as underlying factors contributing to their potential relationship is less understood. Consequently, the present study examined the link between Iranian EFL teachers’ self-regulation and burnout at Kerman English language institutes. For this aim, a total of 101 English language teachers teaching in fifteen language institutes in Kerman took part in this study. The research participant selection was according to the convenience sampling. They completed two questionnaires: Teachers’ Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ) designed by Yesim et al. (2009), based on the model proposed by Zimmerman’s self-regulation (2000), and Teachers’ Burnout Questionnaire (TBQ) extracted from Pines et al. (1981) Burnout Scale. This study was a quantitative correlation survey of issue in which the relationship between predictor variable (self-regulation) and criterion variable (burnout) was analyzed. The findings yielded via correlation analysis documented that there was a significant negative relationship between applying self-regulated strategies and burnout. Subsequent data analyses showed that among the components of self-regulated strategies, goal setting was the best predictor of burnout. It means that EFL teachers who establish goals for their teaching and attempt to accomplish them will be rarely at the risk of burnout.