Factors associated with teacher burnout in some Gaborone secondary schools in Botswana

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discuss factors that contribute to teacher burnout in Botswana. Teacher burn out is reported to have contributed to a decline in students’ academic performance. For this reason the study intends to solicit information from senior secondary school teachers on any factors that prohibit them from being effectively committed to their duties. The information provided by teachers will help the Ministry of Education and Skills Development improve conditions of service so that teaching and learning are also improved. The methodology of the study was based on the positivistic paradigm using the quantitative method. Data was collected from fifty two senior secondary school teachers using a survey questionnaire in which possible answers were given using the Likert scale. The findings of the study suggest that there are a number of factors that contribute to teacher burnout such as poor working conditions of service, unmanageable class size, poor inadequate decent accommodation and inadequate teaching facilities.  Finally it is argued that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development has an obligation to improve teachers’ terms and conditions of service by ensuring that their remuneration is at par with those with the same qualifications and working at the head office of the same Ministry.  Furthermore, the Ministry needs to look for an assessment system that will assess if teachers are teaching as per the requirements and if so what rewards are to be awarded. In the event that certain teachers are not meeting the set requirements what measures should be put in place to assist such teachers to improve so that they meet the set standards.

Keywords: burnout, commitment, accommodation, remuneration, discontentment.