Preventing Teacher Burnout: Exploring the Perceptions of Teachers for Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) in Thailand

Abstract

Some researchers argue that teachers of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have one of the most stressful occupations in the modern world. As pointed out by this research, high-stress jobs can lead to the phenomenon of ‘burnout’. When teachers suffer from burnout, it affects not only them, it also brings about negative consequences to the organisations that they are members of and more significantly, the students that they teach. Nonetheless, no teacher can be said to experience the same level of burnout. Some, in fact, are able to avoid feelings of burnout altogether. Researchers suggest that an investigation of teachers' perceptions of their jobs should be carried out before formulating initiatives aimed at preventing teacher burnout. The main aim of this chapter is to explore similar perceptions of Thai teachers of children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). Educators, who present low levels of burnout based on the Job Burnout Inventory, were interviewed in order to explore their perceptions. The chapter discusses their responses with regards to their professional work, particularly areas relating to what they see as the positive aspects of teaching children with SEBD as well as the coping strategies that they applied to manage stressful situations.

Citation

Yotanyamaneewong, S. and Juhari, S. (2012), "Preventing Teacher Burnout: Exploring the Perceptions of Teachers for Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) in Thailand", Visser, J., Daniels, H. and Cole, T. (Ed.) Transforming Troubled Lives: Strategies and Interventions for Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 2), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 139-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3636(2012)0000002012