The Overwhelm of Crowded Classroom: Exploring the Relationship between Classroom Size and Teacher Burnout

Abstract

Teachers can face overwhelming claim demands on their time and energy, which can drive them to leave the profession due to burnout caused by behaviour issues, excessive workload, and class size problems. One of the key drivers of this burnout is class size, as larger classes exacerbate these pressures, reducing teachers’ ability to manage effectively and maintain their well-being. The current study attempts to examine the relation between teacher burnout and class size, focusing on how overcrowded classrooms contribute to heightened burnout levels among teachers. In light of these considerations, this study addresses the following three research questions: (1) How are teachers classified according to burnout levels? (2) How are teachers categorized according to class size? (3) Is there a significant relationship between teacher burnout and class size? It is hypothesised that there is a significant association between the teacher burnout and class size, or there is no significant association between teacher burnout and class size. In an attempt to answer the research questions and test the study’s hypotheses, a questionnaire was administered to 143 middle school teachers. The questionnaire combines The Maslach Burnout Inventory, in addition to other questions related to class size. The analysis was run using SPSS. Following the identification of the categories, a Chi-square test assessed the association between class size categories and burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy). The major research findings reflect that the combination of the three burnout components into a total burnout score reveals highly significant association. Results found association among burnout categories (high, medium, and low) and class size categories (large, medium and small), whereby teachers with large class size experienced high burnout. Other results are further discussed. Eventually, the research work offers some limitations, implications, and recommendations for pedagogy and future research.