Psychological Profile Comparison of Teachers: Job Burnout, Resilience, and Altruism in Regular vs. Special Education Settings

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.A. Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Ph.D in Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

This comparative study aimed to examine the differences in job burnout, psychological resilience, and altruism between teachers in regular and special education schools in Kerman Province, as well as to explore the relationships among these variables. The research employed a causal-comparative design and included a sample of 80 teachers—40 from special education schools and 40 from regular schools. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which assesses emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment; the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), a 25-item measure of psychological resilience; and the Rashin Altruism Scale, a 5-item instrument assessing an individual’s tendency to help others. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to evaluate group differences across the three variables, and Pearson correlation was used to assess relationships among them. MANOVA results revealed significant multivariate differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). Univariate analyses indicated that special education teachers reported higher levels of burnout and lower psychological resilience compared to regular school teachers. No significant difference was observed in altruism. Additionally, correlation analysis showed significant associations among burnout, resilience, and altruism across the total sample. These findings highlight the psychological challenges faced by special education teachers and underscore the need for targeted interventions to enhance resilience and reduce burnout in this population.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Organizational psychology
Volume 2, Issue 2
June 2025
Pages 11-17

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