Beyond general self-efficacy beliefs and big-five personality traits in teacher burnout: the role of emotional intelligence

Abstract

Introduction: Prior research has underlined the key role that specific personal resources such as generalized self-efficacy and Big-Five traits play in the process of burnout. However, no studies have examined the predictive and incremental role of emotional intelligence over and above the domains and facets of these classic constructs of burnout. Objectives: The authors investigated in a sample of Spanish secondary teachers, whether emotional intelligence scores would account for variance in burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) beyond the level attributable to generalized self-efficacy and big-five personality traits. Method: A sample of teachers completed the general self-efficacy scale, the Big-Five questionnaire, the emotional intelligence Scale, and the burnout inventory. Results: Stepwise multiple regression analysis confirmed these findings and indicated that emotional intelligence abilities accounted for further variance in three burnout subscales not accounted for by generalized self-efficacy and personality traits. Conclusion: These findings extend previous studies and provide additional support for the incremental validity of the emotional intelligence suggesting that emotional intelligence abilities have a role to play in burnout, often with effects that are incremental over the basic dimensions of generalized self-efficacy and personality traits.