Research Trend Analysis on Elementary School Teachers’ Burnout

The purpose of this study is to integratively analyze research trends on burnout among elementary school teachers over the past 20 years, in order to systematize the scholarly trajectory of teacher burnout research and to derive implications for future research and policy. To this end, 310 studies related to elementary school teacher burnout published between January 2005 and June 2025 (142 domestic studies and 168 international studies) were analyzed through an integrative review of research trends. The study was conducted in three stages: (1) keyword analysis (text mining and network analysis), (2) content analysis (categorization of research topics, methods, theoretical frameworks, and variable domains), and (3) meta-analysis (integration of effect sizes for major variables). The results are as follows. First, the keyword analysis showed that research on teacher burnout expanded from early explorations centered on job stress and job satisfaction to include personal psychological resources (e.g., resilience), organizational resources (e.g., administrator and colleague support), student problem behaviors, and emotional labor. In the 2020s, changes in educational environments—such as COVID-19 and remote instruction—as well as issues related to the protection of teachers’ authority and rights emerged as new contextual variables. Second, the meta-analysis indicated that resilience, a sense of calling, and interpersonal support within schools were key protective factors, while turnover intention was identified as a risk factor for leaving the profession. In addition, intervention studies showed a significant average effect size; however, changes in depersonalization were minimal compared to reductions in emotional exhaustion or increases in personal accomplishment. This study is meaningful in that it systematically examined research trends on teacher burnout using a comprehensive approach combining keyword analysis, content analysis, and meta-analysis. The findings suggest that elementary teacher burnout has accumulated as a phenomenon in which multilayered factors interact under an imbalance between job demands and resources. To prevent burnout, it is necessary to promote both individual capacity building and institutional/organizational support simultaneously, including workload allocation, counseling and professional development systems, and a collaborative school culture.