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Article
Teacher Job Satisfaction and Burnout Viewed through Social Comparisons
Journal of Agricultural Education (2012)
  • Tracy Kitchel
  • Amy R. Smith, South Dakota State University
  • Anna L. Henry
  • J. Shane Robinson, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
  • Rebecca G. Lawver, Utah State University
  • Travis D. Park, Cornell University
  • Ashley Schell, University of Kentucky
Abstract
Understanding job satisfaction, stress, and burnout within agricultural education has the potential to impact the profession’s future. Studying these factors through the theoretical lens of social comparison takes a cultural approach by investigating how agriculture teachers interact with and compare themselves to others. The purpose of this study was to determine if relationships existed between social comparison and job satisfaction and/or burnout among secondary agriculture teachers representing six states. Findings indicated that teachers were satisfied with their jobs and tended to engage most frequently in upward assimilative (UA) comparisons, leading to inspiration emotional outcomes. According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators (MBI–E), teachers experienced low levels of burnout related to personal accomplishment (PA) and depersonalization (DE), and moderate levels related to emotional exhaustion (EE). Seven moderate relationships were found between dimensions of social comparison and either burnout and/or job satisfaction.
Keywords
  • social comparison; agriculture teachers; job satisfaction; teacher burnout
Publication Date
Spring January 1, 2012
Publisher Statement
© Journal of Agricultural Education, a publication of the American Association for Agricultural Education. Permission is granted to use materials for personal reference, academic uses, and inclusion in authors' employing universities' institutional repositories. Materials may not otherwise be reproduced, copied, altered in any way, or transmitted to others without the written permission of the Journal of Agricultural Education. Contact the editor to seek permission to use these materials.
Citation Information
Tracy Kitchel, Amy R. Smith, Anna L. Henry, J. Shane Robinson, et al.. "Teacher Job Satisfaction and Burnout Viewed through Social Comparisons" Journal of Agricultural Education Vol. 53 Iss. 1 (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/rebeca_lawver/3/