Professional burnout in special educators and other experts who work with children

Uvod: Svakodnevno se susrećemo s različitim uslovima rada, s drugačijim pri- stupima radu, ali i sa specifičnim uticajem posla na pojedince. Kontinuirani stres, osim što ima loš uticaj na radnu produktivnosti, ima i veoma loš uticaj na zdravlje. Ovaj problem je česta istraživačka tema jer je prepoznavanje sin- droma sagorevanja značajno za radnu produktivnost. Cilj: Cilj ovog istraživanja je da se utvrdi osećaj profesionalnog sagorevanja kod defektologa u odnosu na druge stručnjake koji rade s decom (vaspitače, nastavnike, učitelje, profesore, psihologe, pedagoge, socijalne radnike), kao i u odnosu na godine radnog staža. Metod: Istraživanje je sprovedeno u aprilu 2021. godine. Uzorak je činilo 360 ispitanika, od toga 169 (46,94%) defektologa i 191 (53,06%) drugih stručnja- ka. U odnosu na dužinu radnog staža, ispitanici su podeljeni u dve grupe – radni staž kraći od 15 godina je imalo 263 (73,06%) ispitanika, ostali, njih 97 (26,96%), su imali više od 15 godina staža. Pored opšteg upitnika, kojim su prikupljeni podaci o polu, godinama starosti, stepenu obrazovanja, korišćena je i Skala izgaranja na radu (Work Burnout Scale). Statistička obrada podataka je izvršena u programu SPSS. Rezultati: Rezultati pokazuju da defektolozi beleže nešto više vrednosti na ska- li profesionalnog sagorevanja (AS=10,65, SD=2,61) u odnosu na ispitanike koji pripadaju ostalim strukama (AS=10,12, SD=2,32). Takođe, analizom podata- ka dobijenih u odnosu na dužinu staža, utvrđeno je da je osećaj profesional- nog sagorevanja češći kod ispitanika koji imaju radni staž duži od 15 godina (defektolozi – stariji (AS=11,83, SD=2,48) u odnosu na njihove manje iskusne kolege (AS=10,40, SD=2,94); ostali – stariji (AS=11,03, SD=2,52) u odnosu na njihove manje iskusne kolege (AS=9,62, SD=2,05)). Zaključak: Rezultati ovog istraživanja pokazuju da defektolozi imaju jači osećaj profesionalnog sagorevanja u odnosu na druge stručnjake koji rade s decom. Defektolozi i stručnjaci drugih profila koji rade s decom s više od 15 godina radnog staža imaju i jači osećaj profesionalnog sagorevanja, u odnosu na one koji imaju manje od 15 godina radnog staža. Ovo istraživanje nam je otkrilo zanimljive rezultate koji su tek uvod u ovu temu i problematiku. Rezultati ukazuju na veliku potrebu svih stručnjaka za adekvatnom podrškom od strane svih društvenih i profesionalnih struktura, uz adekvatne preventivne strategije.Introduction: Every day we encounter different working conditions, different approaches to work, but also the specific impact of work on individuals. In addition to affecting work productivity, continuous stress also has a very bad impact on health. This problem is a frequent research topic because the recognition of burnout syndrome is important for labor productivity. Aim: The aim of this research was to determine professional burnout in special educators compared to other professionals who work with children (educators, teachers, professors, psychologists, pedagogues, social workers), with regard to the years of work experience. Method: The research was conducted in April 2021. The sample consisted of 360 subjects, of which 169 (46.94%) were special educators and 191 (53.06%) were other experts. With regard to the length of work experience, the respondents were divided into two groups – 263 (73.06%) respondents had less than 15 years of work experience, while the remaining 97 of them (26.96%), had more than 15 years of work experience. In addition to the general questionnaire, which collected data on gender, age, and the level of education, the Work Burnout Scale – Borritz & Kristensen (2005; adaptation in Serbian, Popov, 2009) was used. Statistical data processing was performed in the SPSS program. Results: The results show that special educators record slightly higher values on the scale of professional combustion (M=10.65, SD=2.61) compared to subjects belonging to other professions (M=10.12, SD=2.32). Also, the analysis of data obtained in relation to the length of service, it was found that the feeling of professional burnout is more common in respondents with work experience longer than 15 years (defectologists – (M=11.83, SD=2.48) compared to their less experienced colleagues M=10.40, SD=2.94), others – (M=11.03, SD=2.52) compared to their less experienced counterparts (M=9.62, SD=2.05)). Conclusion: The results of this research show that special educators have a stronger sense of professional burnout, compared to other experts who work with children. Special educators and experts of other profiles who work with children, with more than 15 years of work experience, also have a stronger sense of professional burnout, compared to those who have less than 15 years of work experience. This research revealed interesting results that are just an introduction to this topic and issue. The results indicate a great need of all experts for adequate support from all social and professional structures, with adequate preventive strategies