Links between teachers’ occupational burnout and students’ academic, social-behavioral, and executive function performance from preschool through first grade

There are growing concerns about burnout among the early education workforce and its potential consequences on child development. This study investigated associations between teacher burnout with student’s academic, social-behavioral, and executive function performance from preschool (PK)–first grade (G1). A diverse sample of 1,159 children who were income-eligible for public PK were followed through the end of G1. Children’s PK, kindergarten (K), and G1 teachers self-reported on burnout along the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Ten outcomes were examined using direct assessments and teacher report, and analyses examined associations between PK–G1 burnout and PK–G1 gains. Students who on average had teachers reporting higher levels of burnout during PK, K, and G1 demonstrated lower rates of gains for 4 of the 10 outcomes assessed. Specifically, children with teachers reporting higher levels of burnout over the first three years of schooling showed smaller gains in teacher-rated social skills, frustration tolerance, and child-teacher closeness; and increased child-teacher conflict. Additionally, there were no significant associations between average teacher-reported burnout and students’ directly assessed academic or executive function skills, suggesting that teachers reporting higher levels of burnout may have implications for teacher perceptions and ratings of student skills and behaviors. This study underscores the need for ECE programs to consider teacher burnout in their efforts to support early childhood development.