Model of Relations among Teacher Self-efficacy, Teacher Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization

Grounded in social cognitive theory, teacher self-efficacy, a highly influential teacher-related variable, is conceptualized as individual teachers beliefs in his/her own ability to plan, organize, and carry out activities that are required to attain given educational goals. During the last decade the research literature has shown a growing interest in teacher self-efficacy in mainstream education. However, this construct has not been adequately addressed in EFL contexts. The purpose of the current study was to explore relations between teacher self-efficacy on the one hand and emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as the central elements of burnout on the other hand. Participants were 542 Iranian EFL teachers, a relatively representative sample from various parts of the country. The collected data were analyzed through structural equation modelling using the Mplus program. The hypothesized structural model of self-efficacy, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization showed a good fit to the data, revealing a considerable relationship between the teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout elements. Theoretical and pedagogical implications of the study are finally discussed.