Private and Public EFL Teachers’ Level of Burnout and its Relationship with their Emotional Intelligence: A Comparative Study

The study aimed to investigate EFL teachers’ level of burnout and its relationship with their emotional intelligence in both Iranian Public Schools (IPS) and Private Language Institutes (PLI) contexts. To this end, quantitative method of gathering data was used. 100 EFL teachers teaching at IPS and PLI contexts participated in this study. They were asked to complete Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey and Revised Emotional Intelligence Scale. Data were analyzed using Correlation, Multiple Regression, and T-tests. The results of the study indicated a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and burnout among EFL teachers teaching at both IPS and PLI contexts. However, the results of multiple regression analyses indicated different patterns of relationships among the subscales of the two questionnaires for IPS and PLI teachers. The result of the T-tests also showed that the level of burnout among IPS teachers was higher than that of PLI teachers. The overall results of the study were discussed and the theoretical implications for further studies and the practical recommendations for EFL teacher education programs were made.