The Contribution of Educators\u27 Levels of Inspiration and Compassion for Others to Their Degree of Burnout

This study investigated the directional relationship between educators\u27 levels of inspiration and compassion for others to their degree of burnout. Specifically, the investigation tested the hypothesized directional relationship that educators\u27 who report higher levels of inspiration (as measured by the Educator Inspire Scale, EIS; Lambie, Barden, & Bierbrauer, 2016) and compassion for others (as measured by the Compassion for Others Scale; COS; Pommier, 2010) would score at lower levels of burnout (as measured by the three components of burnout [emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment] on the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educator Survey; MBI-ES; Maslach, et al., 1996). In addition, the investigation examined the relationship between educators\u27 levels of inspiration, compassion for others, and burnout and their reported demographic information (e.g., age, years of experience, type of school, etc.). A review of the literature along with empirical support for the tested theoretical model of the three constructs of interest (educator inspiration, compassion for others, and burnout) is presented. A correlational research design was used to investigate the hypothesized structural model and exploratory research questions (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2012). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized structural model. The results found an acceptable model fit with these data. Specifically, the results yielded statistically significant relationship between educator inspiration and burnout, with educator inspiration accounting for approximately 17%, 15%, and 33% of variance in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, respectively. Study limitations and implications of this study are discussed