The Influence Of Teacher Burnout On Students’ Well-Being In Government-Aided Public Secondary Schools In Uganda

This descriptive mixed-method study aimed to examine how teacher burnout characterized by exhaustion and fatigue influenced secondary school students’ well-being. The growing concern about the increasing number of student strikes in secondary schools in Uganda and the continued blame of teachers for the strikes indicate a constrained relationship between teachers and students and is likely to impact their well-being. A high-quality school environment is essential in fulfilling the psychological needs of students. The objective of this study was to examine examples and levels of burnout among secondary school teachers in selected government-aided schools in Uganda and explore how it affects the well-being of students. The research questions focused on the extent to which teachers experienced burnout and the impact of burnout on student well-being. The hypothesis concentrates on testing the significance of teacher burnout and their demographic factors as well as the significance of the student-teacher relationship and the demographic factors. The CBI and S-TSRI surveys were conducted with 60 teachers and 360 students respectively from two schools. Structured interviews were also conducted with 15 teachers and 24 students. The analysis suggests on average all teachers interviewed experienced personal burnout (44.36); seldom to a low degree experienced work-related (35.72) and student-related (35.17) burnout respectively. Teacher burnout thwarted the psychological needs of students affecting their well-being. There was a strong relationship between exhaustion and demographic factors and a very strong relationship between teacher-student relationships with the demographic factors of students. The study sheds light on the extent and danger of teacher emotional exhaustion on the teacher and the psychological needs of students. Findings are pointers for key stakeholders on policy design and interventions against teacher burnout to ensure students’ well-being is enhanced. The study recommends further research considering time and seasonal variations, at busy times of the year in the school calendar.