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An analysis of burnout among California elementary school principals: In both the traditional calendar and in a year-round educational plan

Author

D. Ann French, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1989

Document Type

Dissertation - Pacific Access Restricted

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Estelle Lau

First Committee Member

B. R. Hopkins

Second Committee Member

Dennis Brennan

Third Committee Member

Dennis Parker

Fourth Committee Member

Betty Pacheco

Abstract

Purpose. The purposes of this study were three-fold. First, the study was designed to ascertain whether there is a difference in the levels of perceived burnout between elementary school principals working under the traditional calendar and those working under a year-round education plan. The second purpose was to determine whether there are differences in the rankings of stressful administrative activities between the two aforementioned groups. The last objective was to discover whether there are specific occupational stress factors which contribute to principal burnout more than others and if so, to conclude whether they differ for each group. Procedures. Two hundred California public school principals (100 working under a traditional calendar and 100 working under a year-round plan) were randomly selected and were mailed three assessment items: a Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a Principals' Stressful Activities List and a Demographic Item Survey. The number of responses analyzed was 140. Findings. The principals from a year-round education plan did not differ in their reported levels of burnout on the three Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales from those on a traditional calendar. The reported levels of burnout among elementary school principals from both calendars did not significantly differ on the Demographic Item Surveys except for those with preschool children living at home. Principals from both calendars with preschool children reported experiencing higher levels of burnout on both the Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization subscales of the MBI. There is a substantial, positive correlation between the stressful activities of work overload, resolving parent/school conflict, imposing excessively high personal expectations, and telephone call interruptions and the MBI subscale of Emotional Exhaustion. A correlation exists between the stressful activities of imposing excessively high personal expectations, and trying to resolve parent/school conflicts, and the MBI subscale of Depersonalization. A positive relationship exists between evaluating staff members' performance and trying to resolve parent/school conflicts, and the MBI subscale of Personal Accomplishment. However, the only stressful activity that received a significantly different score when comparing principals working under a traditional calendar and those working under YRE was complying with state, federal and organizational rules.

Pages

149

Recommended Citation

French, D. Ann. (1989). An analysis of burnout among California elementary school principals: In both the traditional calendar and in a year-round educational plan. University of the Pacific, Dissertation - Pacific Access Restricted. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3278