STRESS AND BURNOUT IN TEACHERS: THE IMPORTANCE OF COGNITIVE APPRAISAL

Abstract

This study analyses the experience of stress and burnout in teachers and the role of cognitive appraisal on the relationship between stress and burnout. Participated in the study 451 teachers from northern Portugal being 317 females (71.1%). The ages ranged between 28 and 67 years (M = 46.88, SD = 7.80). The evaluation protocol included a demographic questionnaire, the Cognitive Appraisal Scale, the Stress Questionnaire for High School Teachers, and the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. The results showed that 55.1% of the teachers perceived significant to high levels of stress at work, and physical fatigue was the most frequent symptom of burnout. It was also found that cognitive appraisal partially mediates the relation between stress and burnout. In sum, the teacher activity is emotionally demanding and we should also consider the importance of cognitive appraisal processes in adaptation to stress.