This study examined English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ well-being and burnout in public and private high schools in Türkiye, with particular attention to the role of school principals. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data included responses from 64 EFL teachers to the PERMA-Profiler and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. The study also conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 EFL teachers and 11 school principals. The quantitative findings indicated relatively high overall well-being and similar levels across the three burnout dimensions. Personal and work-related burnout were negatively correlated with overall well-being, whereas student-related burnout showed no significant relationship. Although burnout levels did not differ significantly between public and private school teachers, public school teachers reported higher Meaning scores. Younger and less experienced teachers also showed greater vulnerability to burnout. The interviews revealed different challenges across the two school contexts. Public school teachers emphasized crowded classrooms, curriculum constraints, and limited English lesson hours, while private school teachers described financial concerns, parental pressure, and job insecurity. Teachers valued principals who communicated openly, understood their professional needs, and helped manage external pressures. Principals described well-being through observable cues and saw their role as creating a positive climate and buffering teachers from external pressures. The findings suggest that school principals can contribute to supportive working environments, although many of the challenges affecting EFL teachers extend beyond their control.
Keywords: EFL Teacher Well-Being, Burnout, School Principals, School Type, PERMA Model, Mixed-Methods Research.
REFERENCES
[2] Butler, J., & Kern, M. L. (2016). The PERMA-Profiler: A brief multidimensional measure of flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(3), 1-48. doi:10.5502/ijw.v6i3.526
[3] Tage S. Kristensen, Marianne Borritz, Ebbe Villadsen & Karl B. Christensen (2005): The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout, Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health & Organisations, 19:3, 192-207,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02678370500297720
The Future of Education
