Iranian EFL Teachers’ Level of Burnout and Coping Strategies in Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate and compare the prevalence and level of burnout among Iranian male and female EFL teachers. Furthermore, it intended to explore the selected EFL teachers’ perceptions of the strategies which can be adopted to cope with the burnout in the post-pandemic era. To do so, a mixed method research design was adopted in which 50 EFL teachers were selected based on convenience sampling from public schools and private language institutes in Yassoj. To collect the quantitative and qualitative data Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure (SMBM) and an structured interview were utilized. The obtained data was analyzed using descriptive statics, chi-square test, and thematic analysis. The findings suggested that 28% of Iranian teachers perceive high levels of burnout in the post-pandemic era. Among the subscales of burnout, physical fatigue was found to have higher score. Significant associations were found between the EFL teachers’ gender and physical fatigue, cognitive weariness, emotional exhaustion, as well as the overall score of burnout, being that men perceive higher levels of burnout than women. With respect to the qualitative results, it was indicated that the respondents considered such strategies as engaging in a permanent learning, establishment of positive student-teacher relationship, increasing patience and tolerance, enhancing interest in teaching, sharing the problems with colleagues, and respect to the moral consideration to cope with burnout after the pandemic. Some implications are finally provided for decision-makers in the area of EFL pedagogy to improve EFL teachers’ autonomous motivation to reduce their burnout experience.