Burnout in Teacher Educators | Theory Matters with Dr Sabrina Fitzsimons

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666374025000561

What happens when the people responsible for supporting future teachers are themselves running on empty? Dr Sabrina Fitzsimons joins Paul to talk about her research into burnout among teacher educators. Sabrina shares a story that is academic, political and above all profoundly human.👇 Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts or experiences around burnout in education. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Teacher Well-Being Research03:01 Understanding Burnout in Teacher Educators06:12 Research Methodology and Challenges08:49 Defining Burnout and Its Implications12:10 Nature and Symptoms of Burnout14:48 Contributory Factors to Burnout17:53 Work Overload and Its Impact21:07 Lack of Control and Autonomy23:49 Feeling Undervalued in Academia27:01 Collegiality and Support Systems29:58 Values Misalignment in Education32:50 Protective Factors Against Burnout38:30 Protective Factors Against Burnout46:40 Addressing the Root Causes of Burnout51:57 The Role of Institutional Support55:57 Future Research and InsightsSound Bites"65% reported moderate to high burnout.""Burnout is a consequence of workplace stress.""Burnout can impact physical and mental health.""Collegiality helps keep us afloat.""Always on culture contributes to burnout.""I feel so burnt out. I'm of no use to anyone.""There is no end to it.""Burnout isn't affecting every teacher educator.""Burnout comes through policy and directives.""It's about resourcing for higher education.""We need to listen to the teacher educators."Takeaway Points65% of teacher educators report moderate to high burnout.Burnout is a consequence of unmanaged workplace stress.Emotional exhaustion is a key symptom of burnout.Work overload significantly contributes to burnout.Teacher educators often feel undervalued in academia.Collegial support is crucial for teacher educators.Values misalignment can lead to dissatisfaction in roles.Burnout impacts both individual health and organisational effectiveness.The 'always on' culture exacerbates burnout risks.Symptoms of burnout manifest in cognitive, physical, and psychological ways.Burnout manifests in cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms.Teacher educators often feel overwhelmed and exhausted.Collegial support is a key protective factor against burnout.Intrinsic motivation from working with students helps mitigate burnout.Setting boundaries around work time is crucial for mental health.Maladaptive coping mechanisms can exacerbate burnout.Institutional policies significantly impact educator wellbeing.Mental health should be prioritised alongside physical health in education.Resourcing and funding for higher education are critical.Listening to teacher educators is essential for meaningful change. A must-listen for teacher educators, researchers, lecturers, policy makers, and anyone navigating the emotional cost of working in education.#TeacherEducators #Burnout #EducationPodcast #TeacherSupport #TeacherWellbeing #IrishEducation #Neoliberalism #TeacherLife #DCUFollow us, we're worth it:🔗 Website🔗 Spotify🔗 Instagram🔗 Bluesky🔗 X (Twitter)#leadership #education #teacher #school #schoollife #inspiration #support #podcast #video