Fattori individuali e contestuali del burnout: una ricerca descrittiva sugli insegnanti curricolari e di sostegno - Individual and contextual factors of burnout: a descriptive research on teachers and teacher assistants

In recent years, numerous studies have paid particular attention to the conditions of well-being in workplace, analyzing the influence that this dimension has on psychological functioning and positive self-perception. Among the various contexts of inquiry, research has deepened the study of school context, and in particular the professional group of teachers has become progressively more and more targeted under investigation, in order to identify risk and protective factors related to interpersonal characteristics (relations with colleagues and pupils), and also to more individual aspects (personality traits, emotional states, coping skills, subjective perceptions, etc.) that can improve work-related stress level. Studies have shown that the aspects that can explain teachers stress are multidimensional and combine individual dispositions, personal resources and social supports (Albanese et al., 2007; Drago, 2006; Kyriacou, 2001; Jennett, Harris & Mesibov, 2003; Mousavi, 2007; van Dyck & Wagner, 2001). Stressful events that can occur in school context can affect the teacher physical and psychological health resulting in the reduction of emotional resources, physical fatigue, and detachment from interpersonal relationships. This lack of motivation to work and emotional exhaustion is known as burnout. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between individual factors such as "assertiveness" and "coping strategies" and contextual as "the perception of the work environment", "attachment to work", "organizational commitment", "involvement and work satisfaction " related to the onset of teachers burnout. Specifically, it is intended, first, to verify the existence of significant differences between teachers and teacher assistants in examined variables. Second, within each group, we intend to evaluate the differences among the different aspects of investigated factors and the relationship that each of them has with the various dimensions of burnout.