Teacher Burnout in Special Education Cause and Effect and Possible Solutions

¶ … Special Education Teachers

Special Education Vacancies

Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention

Barriers to Hiring

Barriers to retaining special education personnel.

Incentives used to improve retention.

Recommendations to Improve Recruitment and Retention

Adequate Supply of Special Education Professionals

Resources

Teachers today are subject to more stress than ever. Increasing certification requirements, re-certification, assessments, federal standards, demanding children, apathetic parents and an unsupportive administration are just the tip of the iceberg. Special education teachers have special circumstances. While other schoolteachers have some teachers who don't want to learn, special ed teachers are charged with the task of teaching to students who have difficulty learning, whose behavior problems are associated with an illness or handicap, whose needs for special attention are great. Teacher burnout is on the rise, and it's no wonder. This study will examine existing sources as well as conducting a survey of a sample population to assess the primary causes of occupational stress for special education teachers, and to develop recommendations that work towards a viable solution.

Statement of Problem

America is facing a teacher shortage in the field of special education. In part, demographics forecasts spell out the shortage, sheer sets of numbers; irrefutable statistics. In part, the shortage is due to retention, teachers who are leaving the profession early. Much of the exodus is due to burnout, and generally happens within the first five years of a teachers' career. There are differing theories regarding burnout, but there is consensus on the stressors that lead to "overload." Workplace conditions, the nature of the work and administrative and regulatory requirements are areas where stress gestates.

Introduction study that appeared in the Memphis Flyer in 1997 stated that of the country's 2.5 million schoolteachers, almost 67% are over the age of forty, 54% have either a master's degree or six years of college, and 38% have been teaching a minimum of twenty years (with a mean of sixteen years). At first glance it seems to express that our teacher pool is experienced and that teachers possess longevity, two positive traits for our educator workforce. (Surpuriya, T. & Jordan, M.,1997)

However, carried forward into the next decade or two, the demographics paint a wave of population growth and change that will require an influx of teachers into the workforce. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future issued a report that stated two million teachers would need to be recruited over the next decade to fill the void left by the combination of exiting retirees and entering new students.

Teacher burnout is a significant problem facing special education teachers today. Burnout threatens the ability of teachers to sustain and thrive in a demanding and much needed profession. Among the many causes of teacher burnout are low pay, increasing administrative requirements, unruly or needy students, and parents who are either combative or apathetic. The key factor that leads to teacher burnout seems to be linked to not just one causal symptom, but the teacher's ability to reconcile the conflicting demands with his or her personal life.

Literature Review

In a survey conducted by the Victorian Independent Education Union, the elements of stress factors related to burnout for teachers were examined. (Education and Stress, 1996) According to the report, "stress" refers to an internal state which results from demanding, frustrating or unsatisfying conditions. Occupational stress originates in the workplace.

Workplace stress and life stress in general are commonplace. Low levels of healthy stress can be a catalyst for the excretion of endorphins and accelerated performance. Stress can be physiolical or psychological in nature. Someone may experience an unpleasant feeling of distress or tension in reaction to the way they perceive a situation. When the situation is repeated, or when prolonged exposure to the situation occurs, damage can occur - the person can lose their sense of internal balance.

Stress manifests itself in many forms: irritability, anxiety, depression, nervousness, aloofness, aggressiveness, and even alcohol and drug use. Stress can affect physical health as well, as revealed in signs of fatigue, high blood pressures, susceptibility to illness (tension headaches, for instance) and more. There have been many studies regarding stress and teaching. Rosemarie Otto of Australia conducted studies in the early eighties relating to teachers (Otto, R., 1982) and in 1996 VIEU and NSW/ACT IEU looked at occupational stress of union members who were employed in Catholic and Independent Schools.

Both surveys looked at workplace conditions and workloads. Three significant themes emerged: leadership culture, work hours and class sizes. Teachers responded that, with regard to leadership culture, their perceptions of the culture in their schools was either autocratic or consultative, with limited access. A small minority felt their schools were very democratic (6.6% Victoria, 8.7% NSW) or democratic (23.7% Victoria; 28.4% NSW).

Nearly 50% of the Victorian respondents reported in excess of twenty-one hours of direct student contact per week (with 7.8% in excess of twenty five hours). NSW comparatively reported 42.8% and 17.4%, respectively. In terms of total hours spent in the workplace on a weekly basis, 55.3% of Victoria teachers and 45.9% of NSW spent greater than 41 hours per week in the workplace, as well as 20.5% (VIEU) and 26.7% (NSW) reporting in excess of 11 hours school work completed at home. In addition, both studies noted the added times of being called to school during evening hours and on weekends for school related activities.

As for the third theme, 60.4% of teachers in Catholic schools reported classes in excess of 26 students (18.1% taught classes greater than 31) while 23.9% of teachers in independent schools reported similar class sizes.

In addition to the three prevailing themes of workplace conditions that emerged from the two study results, other factors associated with stress were identified as ambiguous job descriptions, lack of employee input into job functions and the demands on the employee's time outside of the workplace. Four workplace stressors were identified as primary causes of occupational stress for teachers. These include: workload, professionalism, communications/management and career prospects. (Education and Stress, 1996)

Workload stressors were identified as:

multiplicity of tasks that needed to be performed within a set period of time. (85.1% VIEU and 91.9% NSW considered this a "high" or "moderate" stressor.

Unrelenting demand of work effort; student reporting/assessment and diversity of student needs (75.9% VIEU and 86.2% NSW - "high" or "moderate"

Professionalism Stressors were identified as:

The effort to keep up with changes in the field of education (79.4% VIEU and 76.8% NSW)

The effort to continually adopt new teaching strategies and approaches (70.2% Victoria; 78.4% NSW)

Communications/Management Stressors were identified as:

Quality of staff communications (61.8% Victoria; 74.1% NSW)

Quality of staff consultation (66.6% Victoria; 74.1% NSW)

School Decision making process (67.1% Victoria; 77.5% NSW)

Career Prospects were identified as:

Perceived lack of fit between pay and skills/responsibilities (69.3% Victoria; 75.2% NSW)

Lack of opportunity for growth (61.8% Victoria; 59.6% NSW).

Interestingly, both studies asked respondents to identify personal symptoms of stress that occurred at home or during personal time. This is important, because the extent to which an individual is experiencing personal stress will affect how susceptible he or she is to occupational stress. The table below summarizes the responses from both study groups:

VIEU

NSW

Irritability at home

Internal feelings of anxiety

Feelings of powerlessness and futility

Psychosomatic complaints*

Psychosomatic complaints mentioned included chronic fatigue/exhaustion, shingles, abdominal complaints, vulnerability to virus infection, muscular tension, palpitations of the heart, respiratory disorders and recurring headaches.

Ultimately both studies affirm the fact that we live in a stressful and complex world. This is certainly not new information. The higher the stress level is on a personal level, the more affected an individual is likely to be by workplace stress. An unhealthy response to high levels of stress, (internalization, manifestation, illness, emotional responses, mood changes, etc.) creates overload, or "burnout." Workplace stressors are many and constant. Individuals need to be prepared to face this kind of environment, to dodge and respond to the many issues arising daily from the administration, the school, the students, the parents and the community.

In a presentation regarding professional burnout of teachers of special education needs in Greece, the authors stated: "Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers serve one of the most stressful occupations. Special working conditions such as the high ratio of teachers and pupils, the limited progress due to the various problems of the pupils with special needs and the high workload exert an additional psychological pressure on the personality and the work performance of SEN teachers." (Antoniou, A.S., Polychroni, F., Walters, B., 2000) While it has been widely established that teaching is among the most stressful occupations, (second to social work), the study of the original plight of special education teachers has not been a prevalent source of literature. (Cooper, 1988).

Kyriacou & Suttcliffe have determined that stress results from the "teachers' perception that a) demands were being forced upon them b) they are unable to or have difficulty in meeting these demands and c) failure to do so threatens their mental and/or physical well being. The key element is the teachers' perception of threat (either this is self-imposed or imposed by others)." (Kyriacou, 1987).

Further, occupational stress that occurs at high levels leads to dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and ultimately turnover. Kyriacou & Sutcliffe concluded that the work conditions were the contribution factors to teacher dissatisfaction and leaving, rather than the experience of teaching itself. (Kyriacou & Sutcliffe, 1979). The work conditions referred to in this case include the combination of the wage structure and the job responsibilities and the inequities between the two.

Multiple studies have identified causes of teacher stress, identifying commonalities such as a high pupil to teacher ratio, limited pupil progress, unreasonable workload, role overload and role conflict, relationship issues with colleagues, a poor working environment, insufficient wages, status and growth opportunity, difficulties with time and resources, and professional recognition. (Borg et al. 1991; Kyriacou & Sutcliffe, 1979; Kyriacou, 1987; Manthei & Solman, 1988; Laughlin, 1984; Travers & Cooper, 1996; Guglielmi & Tatrow, 1998).

Some have embarked on the quest to address the same issues for teachers of special needs students. Among them are: teachers in special schools (Chaplain, 1995; Manthei & Solman, 1996), newly qualified teachers, heads of department or head teachers (Cooper & Kelly, 1993; Friedman, 1995), special needs children and additional pressures on teachers (Galloway, 1985, Upton, & Varma, 1996), hearing impaired students (Luckner, 1989; Fraser, 1996) children with severe difficulties (Sutton & Huberty, 1984; Ware, 1996) and reading difficulties (Carlile, 1985).

Other significant mainstream research revealed that for secondary school teachers negative feelings were associated with the location of the school, conflicts with teacher's goals (financial and occupational) and gender (more prevalent for women than for men) (Papastylianou, 1998). When teacher burnout was compared with other typically high stress professions such as nurses, doctors, social workers, and ergo therapists, the teachers were found to have exceptionally high levels of emotional exhaustion, but "low levels of depersonalization and high levels of personal accomplishment." Overall, in this context the burnout ratings for teachers fared lower than United States norms. This was attributed to less demanding work (comparatively speaking) and longer holiday periods. (Kantas, 1996).

Occupational stressors for Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers are similar to those identified for all teachers, and include such common complaints as excessive paperwork requirements, increasing caseloads, low salaries, lack of administrative support, challenging student behaviors and lack of visible student progress (Cooley & Yovanoff, 1996). In addition to situational factors inherent to teaching itself, SEN teachers confront the individual learning and emotional needs of students who are mentally, physically and/or sensory impaired.

Kyriacou and Sutcliffe identified job satisfaction, absenteeism and intention to leave as three primary measures of occupational stress. Male & May conducted as study in 1996 which concluded that 80% of the head teachers of special schools believed the occupation to be very stressful and greater than 50% of those surveyed did not plan to remain in the profession. (Male & May, 1997) In addition, Cooley & Yovanoff cited declining enrollments in Special Ed. Programs in America coupled with an increasing population of children requiring special needs services, indicating a crises of a shortage of special education teachers. (Cooley & Yovanoff, 1996)

In the state of Texas, the Texas Education Agency embarked on a statewide set of studies to assess (TEA, 2001):

The current status of special education personnel needs.

Critical issues for maintaining an adequate supply of qualified special education professionals.

Professional development needs of special education professionals.

The TEA sample population included special education directors, shared service arrangement (SSA) administrators, and charter school administrators. 608 surveys were sent to special education directors and 1,201 surveys were sent to H.R. And charter school administrators. Of the 608 surveys sent, 263 responded (a 44% response rate.) 491 responses emerged from the H.R./charter school pool (a 41% response rate).

Composition of Special Education Teachers

The survey results provided information regarding the amount and type of special education teachers in the population area (TEA, 2001):

Single districts and SSAs had special ed teachers for children age 3-5 (96% and 89%), students with severe disabilities (93% and 92%), and students with visual impairments (74% and 82%).

SSAs (57%) are less likely than single districts (77%) to have teachers for students with emotional disturbance.

Small percentages of single districts and SSAs employ specialized teachers for students with auditory impairments and limited English proficiency (12% to 36%).

Charter schools most commonly identify "other" special education teachers (96%), such as non-specialized or generic special education teachers, resource teachers, multi-age teachers, and adapted physical education teachers.

Special Education Vacancies

The study elicited the following information regarding vacancy rates for special education teachers in Texas:

The area of specialization with the highest vacancy rate was in bilingual and limited English proficient (LEP) students (11-18%).

The next ranking categories are:

Bilingual educational diagnosticians (10-12%)

Bilingual SLPs (9-16%)

Emotional disturbance (9-14%)

Severe disabilities (7-17%)

Auditory impairments (14%).

In addition, Charter schools were found to have critical vacancy rates: special education teachers (23%), educational diagnosticians (25%) and paraprofessionals (67%).

Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention

Respondents who specialized in human resources expressed in their experience what they felt were the most effective strategies for recruiting special education personnel. Their answers included:

Utilizing the internet

It was reported that these specific strategies were used more often to recruit special education teachers.

Barriers to Hiring

H.R./Special Education Directors reported that the most common barriers to recruiting and hiring personnel were:

Insufficient supply of candidates with minimal requirements (i.e., certification and licensing.

Competitive salaries, benefits or incentives in alternative options.

The directors identified strategies that they used to cope with shortages in available personnel. The answers differed slightly for single districts and SSA's versus Charter schools.

Single districts and SSAs

Use more paraprofessionals

Use contractors

Use personnel who are in the process of getting full credentials

Use alternative certification program (ACP) interns

Charter schools

Use contractors

Use personnel who are in the process of getting full credentials

Use retired personnel

Blend funding to create inclusive settings

Barriers to retaining special education personnel.

Barriers to retaining special education personnel were identified separately by H.R. Directors and Special Education Directors as follows:

Special education directors

Burnout or job stress

Amount of paperwork.

Human resources directors

Better salaries, benefits, and/or incentives elsewhere

Geographic location of the LEA.

Incentives used to improve retention.

The survey revealed that less SSAs use incentives to retain special ed teachers as compared to single districts, and further, that the types of incentives offered varied by LEA type. Specific survey results are as follows:

Single districts most frequently fund professional development and support mentoring for inexperienced employees.

SSAs fund professional development and improve salaries and benefits.

Charter schools use incentives to improve salaries and benefits and fund professional development to address CEU requirements.

Recommendations to Improve Recruitment and Retention

The purpose of the study was to assess the status of special education personnel needs. In addition to creating a telling snapshot of the composition of the pool of special education personnel as well as the approach by human resources to attract and retain such personnel, the study brought forth the following recommendations by Special Education and Human Resources directors for improving recruitment and retention. The suggestions fell within four specific areas of focus: 1. Financial support, 2. Non-Financial support, 3. Paperwork and legal issues and 4. Teacher preparation and certification.

Financial support can take many forms, including the most obvious, that being salary adjustments. Other financial incentives can include stipends and increased benefits. Non-financial support can include opportunities for professional development and recognition, reduced class sizes or caseload limits, mentors and training. With regard to paperwork issues, streamlining the paperwork process to eliminate redundancies was a primary suggestion. Reductions in red tape and less confusing laws and regulations were also cited as areas for attention. As for teacher preparation and certification, some survey respondents suggested reviewing the certification process to provide added flexibility.

Adequate Supply of Special Education Professionals

To summarize, the TEA study revealed the steps recommended by human resources professionals to increase and retain a sufficient supply of special education teachers. Among the recommendations offered, the human resources personnel suggest offering financial and non-financial incentives, improving the workplace environment, offering professional recognition and advancement opportunities and streamlining the certification process.

The TEA report developed the following recommendations with regard to special education candidates:

Enhance recruitment of secondary students and career changers through exposure campaigns, information dissemination, and financial incentives, such as grants, scholarships, tuition reimbursement, and loan forgiveness

Attract minority candidates to meet increasing bilingual demands by providing financial incentives and academic support

Promote special education as a desirable career choice by exposing potential candidates to special education experiences, such as tutoring, service learning projects, or dual credit courses related to special education

Conduct campaigns to disseminate educational and employment information through job fairs, the Internet, and college and university contacts

Seek legislative support to ensure teacher salaries are competitive and reflect degree and certification requirements

Provide signing bonuses and annual stipends for educators serving in critical special education shortage areas

Promote business partnerships, (e.g., home mortgage assistance) to provide financial support for teachers working in rural areas

Develop stipend and bonus plans to recognize advanced degrees, additional certifications or credentials, and professional development achievements

Offer attractive benefit packages, including comprehensive health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, and district-supported child care facilities

Address legal complexities by supporting federal- and state-level initiatives to streamline rules and regulations

Provide clerical support for targeted paperwork responsibilities

Purchase computers and software management programs to streamline paperwork requirements and provide technology training to support use

Provide adequate classroom space, textbooks, instructional materials, and equipment

Support collaborative and individual planning time as part of the regular school schedule

Provide mentoring programs for novice teachers and support peer coaching programs for experienced teachers

Match assigned roles and responsibilities to teacher qualifications

Provide career-path options that enable teachers to move into leadership or master teacher positions

Increase overt district and campus recognition and support for special education services and personnel

Promote uniform state-to-state certification standard

Develop different types of certifications for defined job roles and responsibilities (i.e., categorical, multicategorical, generic; preschool, elementary, and secondary)

In a study published in the International Education Journal in 2003, Dworkin, Saha and Hill developed a questionnaire that was distributed to 2,961 urban public school teachers. The primary findings of the study were that teachers who perceived their principals as non-authoritarian, participative and supportive were less likely to experience burnout than teachers whose perceptions of their school were exactly opposite. (Dworkin, A.G., Saha, L.J. & Hill, 2003)

According to Dworkin, the concept of "burnout" was originated by psychologist Freudenberger (1974) to describe "a malady experienced by human service professionals who appear to 'wear out,' or reach a stage where they are no longer able to perform their tasks effectively, and sometimes even to care about their clients." Burnout is viewed in psychological circles as the loss of ability to cope with job related stress. Maslach and Jackson define burnout as a loss of idealism and enthusiasm for work that is manifested by exhaustion, depersonalization, depression, low morale and emotional withdrawal (Maslach and Jackson 1981). Because burnout is described in psychological terms as the loss of ability to cope, blame is often ascribed to the victims rather than the underlying causes. (Abel and Sewell 1999; Cedoline 1982; Farber 1991; Gold and Roth (1993; Pines 1993; Shaw, Bensky, and Dixon 1981; and Swick and Hanley 1983). Social psychologists that view burnout as the organizationally induced loss of idealism and enthusiasm still recommend coping strategies on the part of the individual as the solution. (Cherniss 1980, 1992; Maslach 1978a, 1978b, 1993; and Maslach and Jackson 1982).

Conversely, sociological views of burnout originate from the theory of alienation. This point-of-view, which is adopted by the Berkeley Planning Associates (1977), Dworkin (1987, 1997, 2000), Dworkin, Haney and Telschow. (1988, 1990), LeCompte and Dworkin (1991), Schwab and Iwanicki (1982), Sparks and Hammond (1981), considers burnout a by-product of role-specific alienation. Seeman builds on this perspective by defining burnout as the result of organizationally induced effects of powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation and estrangement. Seeman asserts that this burnout should addressed by organizational change rather than personal coping. (Seeman, 1959, 1975)

Methodology

There has been considerable research and attention nationwide focused upon the issue of teacher shortages, burnout and substandard working conditions for teachers. Some research asserts that burnout is the result of excessive occupational stress, while others feel that burnout is a reflection of individual coping abilities. This survey will attempt to identify the causes and triggers of stress that lead to burnout for special education teachers.

This research is especially important because of the impending crises of teacher shortages, particularly in the area of special education. The survey questions will be distributed to a subset of special education teachers located in Muscogee County, Georgia. There are seven high schools in the district, which comprise 9,602 high school students and 1,104 special education students. The average student to teacher ratio statewide is 15.9:1 while the average special ed student to teacher ratio is 17.7:1.

The research will prove insightful to the current state of high school special education in the region and in the country, and can be duplicated among other schools and counties throughout the nation. In this regard, it is intended that the results of the survey and any subsequent policy changes accurately reflect the needs and desires of the high school special needs programs and enhance the effectiveness of high school special needs teachers.

Data Collection

There are 1,470,634 high school students enrolled in the state of Georgia. The average expenditure per student is $6,929. A total of 92,732 teachers are employed full time in Georgia high schools.

Student Characteristics

Free Lunch

Pupil/teacher ratio

Number of FTE teachers

Georgia

Muscogee County

The following table lists high schools in the Muscogee County School District.

There are 9,602 students in the school district, 816 special education students (approximately 11.5%) and 62 special education teachers. The survey was distributed to all special education teachers within the county as well as to their superiors (approximately 20 individuals).

Subject Population

SAMPLE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

Students

Pupil / Teacher

Teachers

Special Ed Students

S.E. Teachers

S.E. Pupil / Teacher

Carver High School

Columbus High School

Hardaway High School

Jordan Vocational High School

Kendrick High School

Shaw High School

Spencer High School

Total/Average

In addition to questions relating to stress indicators, teachers were asked to fill in a detailed biographical questionnaire with information on gender, age, teaching experience, number of pupils in the classroom, hours for preparation and marriage status. The original sample population was comprised of 44.3% of males and 65.4% of females. The age distribution was 47.8% from 31 to 40 years old, 24.2% from 41 to 50 and 17% over the age of 50. 81.42% were married. More than half of the teachers qualified as devoting in excess of 21 hours per week with students. Two thirds spent 0-5 hours per week on preparation. The table below illustrates the demographic composition of the sample population

Variable

Demographic Categories

Gender

Males

Females

Age Groups

Up to 30 years

31-40 years

41-50 years over 51

Marital Status

Married

Single

Teaching Experience

-10 years

11-20 years

21-30 years over 30

Teaching Hours per week

10 hours

11-20 hours over 21 hours

Preparation time per week

5 hours

6-10 hours over 11

Instrumentation questionnaire was designed to assess special education teachers' perceptions of their experiences. Fifteen questions were designed on a Likert-type of rating scale, with responses ranging from a possible 1 to 6. A "1" represented no stress at all, "2" represented some stress, "3" - moderate stress, "4" - high levels of stress, "5" - a challenge, and "6" being extreme stress. The items being rated represented known causes of stress that had been previously identified by existing research. The causes were divided into three categories: the nature of the work (issues with students), the workplace environment, and the school administration & regulatory environment. The factors to be rated were as follows:

Nature of the Work

Lack of pupil's progress

Limited pupil's interest

Facing difficult pupils

Pupils with social problems and outside issues

Special attention required by individual pupils

Workplace Environment

Heavy workload

Significant lack of resources and equipment

Increased number of pupils

Wage Deficiency

Lack of Recognition

Administration & Regulatory

Lack of help from the government

Lack of support from leadership

Lack of co-operation with colleagues

Excessive paperwork requirements

Excessive certification requirements

The survey responses will be compared with current research in order to assess the commonality or variance in results. The survey will attempt to identify and validate common causes of burnout for special education teachers.

Analysis

Student responses were analyzed by frequency and percentage of responses to each question. The questionnaire was designed to identify those factors that ranked highest for stressors on the sliding scale provided. The key was to isolate the primary causes of stress leading to burnout. In addition to the rankings of the answers, the answers were compared by the sex and demographic characteristics of the respondents, it identify any revealing patterns among like groups, whether it be age, sex, years of experience or marital status. The results of the answer rankings are presented below.

Rank

Nature of the Work

Lack of pupil's progress

Limited pupil's interest

Facing difficult pupils

Pupils with social problems and outside issues

Special attention required by individual pupils

Rank

Workplace Environment

Heavy workload

Significant lack of resources and equipment

Increased number of pupils

Wage Deficiency

Lack of Recognition

Rank

Administration & Regulatory

Lack of help from the government

Lack of support from leadership

Lack of co-operation with colleagues

Excessive paperwork requirements

Excessive certification requirements

When the survey results were tabulated for the factors with the highest percentage ranking on a scale from 4-6 (indicating high levels of stress to extreme stress), the fifteen factors could be ranked according to their groups as follows:

Survey Responses

Nature of the Work

TL 4-6

Rank

Lack of pupil's progress

Limited pupil's interest

Facing difficult pupils

Pupils with social problems and outside issues

Special attention required by individual pupils

Workplace Environment

TL 4-6

Rank

Heavy workload

Significant lack of resources and equipment

Increased number of pupils

Wage Deficiency

Lack of Recognition

Administration & Regulatory

TL 4-6

Rank

Lack of help from the government

Lack of support from leadership

Lack of co-operation with colleagues

Excessive paperwork requirements

Excessive certification requirements

It is important to note that while a score of 1 on the survey response was an indicator of no stress at all, a ranking of 1 in assessing the results means that this is the most significant stressor and received the highest score among stressors. Therefore, the chart reflects the highest stressors as a 1 and the lowest stressors as a five.