Teaching stress has become a well-confirmed problem among teachers over recent decades. Recently, a study conducted in Tianjin, China, also investigated the prevalence and correlates of burnout among Chinese kindergarten teachers.

The study randomly selected and invited 1795 kindergarten teachers to participate in a survey study conducted from July to October 2018. The teachers invited were from 16 districts in Tianjin, where more than 1200 kindergartens were based. The response rate was 97%. Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey scale was used to access the burnout level in terms of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished professional accomplishment. The study found that:

• The prevalence of burnout in Chinese kindergarten teachers was 53.2%. Respectively, 38.6%, 23.8%, and 21.8% of teachers reported a high level of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a low level of professional accomplishment.
• Teachers who were dissatisfied with their income were more likely to experience burnout than their counterparts.
• Kindergarten teachers who worked in public schools displayed a higher rate of burnout than kindergarten teachers who worked in private schools.
• Burnout was also significantly associated with BMI, depression, and perceived stress among teachers.

The authors pointed out that the burnout rate among Chinese kindergarten teachers was higher than that of teachers in previous studies from other countries such as Brazil and Israel.

Source (Open Access): Li, S., Li, Y., Lv, H., Jiang, R., Zhao, P., Zheng, X., … & Mao, F. (2020). The prevalence and correlates of burnout among Chinese preschool teachers. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 160.