A study of the relationships between emotional intelligence, locus of control, and emotional burnout among teachers

Context and relevance. The growing level of professional stress among teachers, driven by social instability, continuous reforms in the education system and increasing qualification demands, leads to reduced professional efficiency and the rise of emotional burnout. Objective. To examine the relationship between teachers’ emotional burnout, emotional intelligence and locus of control. Hypothesis. It was assumed that a low level of emotional intelligence and an external locus of control are associated with a higher severity of emotional burnout symptoms, whereas an internal locus of control serves as a protective factor. Methods and materials. The study involved 280 teachers from general education institutions. The following instruments were used: V.V. Boyko’s “Emotional Burnout Level Diagnostic Questionnaire”, N. Hall’s “Emotional Intelligence Test,” and J. Rotter’s “Locus of Control Test”. Correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships between emotional burnout, emotional intelligence, locus of control and professional experience. Results. A low level of emotional intelligence and an external locus of control are associated with high levels of emotional burnout, while an internal locus of control correlates with lower values of its components. Professional experience showed no statistically significant correlations with emotional burnout. Conclusions. Emotional intelligence and locus of control are significant predictors of teachers’ emotional burnout and can be regarded as key areas for targeted prevention.

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