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L2 Teachers’ Traditional versus Constructivist Teaching/Learning Conceptions and Teacher Burnout

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Abstract

The purpose of this research was twofold: (a) to find out the dominant type of teaching/learning conceptions among second language (L2) teachers, that is, whether they generally tend to hold traditional or constructivist views; (b) to see if there is any relationship between L2 teachers’ traditional versus constructivist teaching/learning conceptions and their burnout level. Seventy-four L2 teachers were asked to fill out two instruments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire (TLCQ). Overall, the results from a T-test showed that teachers were more inclined towards constructivist conceptions of teaching and learning. Moreover, results from correlation analyses revealed that there is a significant negative correlation between teachers’ total burnout level alongside two of its subscales (Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization) and their constructivist conceptions of learning and teaching. On the contrary, our findings revealed a significant positive correlation between teachers’ total burnout level alongside two of its subscales (Emotional Exhaustion and Personal Accomplishment) and their traditional conceptions of learning and teaching. Furthermore, the results from regression analysis consisting of TLCQ factors showed that teachers’ constructivist conceptions could successfully predict lower levels of teacher burnout. The practical implications of the study were discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. English Department, University of Neyshabur, Neyshabur, Iran

    Reza Zabihi

  2. Department of English, Khorasan e Razavi Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran

    Mina Khodabakhsh

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  1. Reza Zabihi
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  2. Mina Khodabakhsh
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Correspondence to Reza Zabihi.

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This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Zabihi, R., Khodabakhsh, M. L2 Teachers’ Traditional versus Constructivist Teaching/Learning Conceptions and Teacher Burnout. Curr Psychol 38, 347–353 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9610-z

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