Empowering Burned Out Teachers through Peer Coaching Cycles: A Qualitative Action Research Study

Abstract

Burnout is experienced for many reasons, such as prolonged exposure to stress. This can present in three stages being emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal unaccomplishment. Many educators experience different stages, pathways, and types of burnout throughout their career. This is unfair to teachers as most enter the profession to make a positive impact on student lives, but it is also unfair to the school as teachers affect other teachers, students, and the culture of the school. Therefore, this dissertation sought to understand the road back from burnout.

This was explored through peer coaching cycles to provide support and feedback in a collaborative, safe learning environment. This qualitative action research looked at four teachers experiencing one or more stages of burnout and allowed them the opportunity to engage in two peer coaching cycles to see if this improved their levels of burnout. Interviews and artifacts were used to answer the following research questions: Question 1- How and why do these specific teachers experience burnout?; Question 2- What are the perspectives of teachers regarding how peer coaching impacted their burnout and how do these experiences change with additional cycles?; Question 3-How do the experiences of teachers engaging in peer coaching cycles affect the collaborative culture? This dissertation examined how peer coaching cycles empowered burnout teachers, built their decisional capital, and supported them through their burnout. This dissertation sought to understand how to support burned out teachers of all levels and experiences.