The Role of Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Pedagogies on Teacher Burnout

Culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies (CRSPs) are foundational for transforming students’ learning environments, yet little is known about their impact on teachers. Although teachers generally recognize the need for CRSPs, limited resources and competing demands place teachers at risk for burnout. We investigated CRSPs as a predictor of burnout, and the influence of demographic moderators among California in-service educators. Findings demonstrated that teacher use of students’ cultural backgrounds predicted decreased burnout, while considering the impact of racism increased burnout, with grade level of instruction demonstrating significant moderating effects. Implications for teacher educators, school leaders, and policy makers are discussed.