Self-efficacy and Its Impact on Teacher-leader Burnout

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore self-efficacy in teacher educational leadership and its connection to burnout as perceived by teacher-leaders in a confined small suburban school district. Methodology. This research followed a qualitative case study research design. This approach allowed the researcher to interact extensively and intimately with the participants. This method also allowed the thorough exploration of phenomena through in-depth inquiry within a bounded system, time, place, or physical environment. Through semistructured interviews, the researcher was able to uncover the subtle personal understandings and perceptions of the teacher-leader participants in the real context. This helped the researcher gain insight into the relationships between the perceived self-efficacy of the participants and their experiences of burnout. Including the voices of the participants in the real context deepened the researcher’s understanding of the participants’ experiences as teacher-leaders. Findings. The findings of this study are consistent with prior research from Bandura’s social cognitive theory and self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986, 1989, 1997, 2012). The researcher identified 11 themes that contribute to teacher-leaders’ perceived self-efficacy and feelings of burnout: (a) lack of organization at the district level, (b) credibility and broken trust, (c) administration turnover, (d) lack of funding to support the variety of programs, (e) lack of acknowledgement or recognition, (f) lack of student progress, (g) lack of support from colleagues due to broken relationships or friendships, (h) lack of clear expectations and communication, (i) loss of purpose, (j) lack of experience with a new task, and (k) lack of self-preparation. The researcher also found aspects distinctive to the participants of this school district, such as the substantial value the participants place on the friendships they have with their colleagues. Conclusions. This study adds to the knowledge base that identifies specific activities that organizations can implement to build the self-efficacy and capacity of their teacher-leaders and prevent teacher-leader burnout. Recommendations. District and school administration should explore ways to set the groundwork and help develop a financial framework to allocate resources that allow teacher-leaders the support they need to perform their work efficiently. In addition, administrators should design guidelines that promote inclusive behaviors in the organization to stimulate healthier work relationships and a support system for teacher-leaders. Finally, organizations should intentionally invest resources to create an environment at the workplace where the mental health of employees is nourished