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Teacher voices matter: The role of teacher autonomy in enhancing job satisfaction and mitigating burnout

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  • Cheyeon Ha
  • Tim Pressley
  • David T Marshall

Abstract

This study aims to explore variables associated with teacher burnout at the end of the 2021–2022 school year and shed light on teachers’ mental health issues related to psychological factors. We collected survey data from 824 United States teachers. Using a moderated mediation analytic model, the results of this study showed that teachers’ autonomy had considerable interaction effects on job satisfaction and burnout with other variables in this study (i.e., administrative support on job satisfaction and job satisfaction on burnout). Teachers with more experience and higher job satisfaction showed lower burnout scores. Furthermore, results showed significant relationships between key variables influencing burnout. These findings are key as teacher attrition grows across the United States, and school leaders should look to support teachers’ well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheyeon Ha & Tim Pressley & David T Marshall, 2025. "Teacher voices matter: The role of teacher autonomy in enhancing job satisfaction and mitigating burnout," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0317471
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317471
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anna Popova & David K Evans & Mary E Breeding & Violeta Arancibia, 2022. "Teacher Professional Development around the World: The Gap between Evidence and Practice [Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina]," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 37(1), pages 107-136.
    2. Patrinos,Harry Anthony, 2023. "The Longer Students Were Out of School, the Less They Learned," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10420, The World Bank.
    3. Nathalie Billaudeau & Stephanie Alexander & Louise Magnard & Sofia Temam & Marie-Noël Vercambre, 2022. "What Levers to Promote Teachers’ Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Lessons Learned from a 2021 Online Study in Six Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-17, July.
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    1. Gina Chávez-Ventura & Maricela Osorio-Guzmán & Henry Santa-Cruz-Espinoza & César Merino-Soto, 2025. "Explanatory Model of Job Satisfaction in Teachers During the Covid-19 Pandemic," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(4), pages 21582440251, October.

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