Fluid Intelligence and Self-Efficacy in Iranian Female and Male EFL Teachers’ Burnout: Possible Relationships and Differences

Teachers’ psycho-affective state is important to the quality of their classroom performance. Self-efficacy and fluid intelligence are thought of as being protective in adverse conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation among Iranian EFL teachers’ self-efficacy, fluid intelligence, and burnout. To this end, a quantitative research was conducted, and 140 EFL teachers within the 20-40 age range in Mashhad, Iran, were selected through convenience sampling. They filled up three questionnaires of RAPM (Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices), OSTES (Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale), and MBI-ES (Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator’s Survey) for fluid intelligence, self-efficacy, and burnout, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient, Multiple Regression, and MANOVA were used for analyzing the data. The results showed a significant positive relationship between the male and female teachers’ self-efficacy and fluid intelligence. Findings also revealed a significant negative correlation between the male and female teachers’ self-efficacy and burnout. Moreover, the correlation between fluid intelligence and burnout for both male and female teachers was negative. It was also found that gender is not a determining factor in Iranian EFL teachers’ burnout. The study finds it essential for educational policymakers in Iran to devise programs to enhance language teachers’ self-efficacy and fluid intelligence as potential protectors against burnout.