Personal attributes influencing school burnout among graduating students

Abstract

The study examined the strength of personal attributes and demographics in predicting school burnout among graduating students. The research was a survey which adopted a cross-sectional design. Three hundred participants comprising 143 male and 157 female graduating students were purposively sampled using simple balloting. The sample was selected from five academic faculties in a public university in southwest Nigeria. Questionnaires administered on participants contained scales that measured school burnout, academic self-efficacy, perception of teacher support, sex and age. The study predicted that personal attributes and demographics will significantly influence school burnout. The hypothesis was confirmed as predicted as result showed significant joint influence of academic self-efficacy, perception of teacher support, sex and age on school burnout. Academic self-efficacy had significant independent contribution to school burnout, while the contribution of other factors was not significant. The study concludes that academic self-efficacy is the main predictor of school burnout in the sample surveyed. The finding implied that self-efficacy should be emphasized more in school burnout management. In other words, school burnout prevention, treatment and intervention should incorporate specialized training to enhance academic self-efficacy among graduating students.

Keywords: School burnout, academic self-efficacy, perception of teacher support