Noticing the unnoticed: Teacher self-efficacy as a mediator between school context and teacher burnout in developing regions

Teacher burnout is a phenomenon permeating the education sector. Teachers in developing regions are more likely to experience burnout due to specific school contexts, which may be mediated by teacher self-efficacy. Yet the burnout experiences of high school teachers teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in developing regions remain under-researched. This study examined the mediating effect of teacher self-efficacy on the relationships between school context variables (supervisory support, relations with colleagues, and time pressure) and teacher burnout. Questionnaire data were collected from 802 high school EFL teachers in China and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that supervisory support directly predicted personal accomplishment, and relations with colleagues and time pressure directly predicted the three dimensions of burnout. Self-efficacy significantly mediated the effects of the contextual variables on emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. Theoretical and practical implications for reducing high school teachers’ burnout for the sake of promoting educational equality in developing regions are finally addressed.