Abstract

Teaching profession is a strategic occupation in that it conributes to educating the adults of the future. However,depending on some stress sources related with the occupation teachers have a special risk for menthal health.Depending on literature, negative life events,loss of energy and formation of some physical discomfort is defined as?burnout sendrom?.
With the belief that this group of teachers were closer to the risk of burnout because of the responsibilities they carry in relation with the needs of the special education children the aim of the study was to investigate the burnout syndrome of special education teachers in relation with their sex, age, socio-economic status, perceived support from collegues, beliefs on status of their occupation, and appreciation from their administors.
The sample of this study consists of 48 special education teachers teaching at different special education institutes at İzmir. Maslach Burnout Inventory-Teacher Form and Personal Information Survey were used for gathering the data.
The analysis of the data demonstrated that sex is positively related with special education teachers emotional burnout and insensitiveness level. Men have higher scores in these subdimensions. Participants from middle socio-economic status are seen to have the lowest scores in all dimensions. Participants that perceive support from collegues are seen to have significantly lower scores on emotional burnout and insensitiveness dimensions.
Special education teachers who think that the status of their occupation is low in society are seen to have higher scores in emotional burnout. Beliefs about appreciation from their administors are seen to be related with burnout level of special education teachers. Participants that believed that they were not appreciated by their administrators have significantly higher scores on emotional burnout and insensitiveness subdimensions.

Key words: Burnout, special education, teacher

Article Language: Turkish English