ERIC Number: EJ1425608
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Apr
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2562-783X
A Mixed Method Analysis of Burnout and Turnover Intentions among Higher Education Professionals during COVID-19
Jake D. Winfield; Joseph H. Paris
Journal of Education Human Resources, v42 n2 p128-152 2024
The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly and dramatically altered higher education, including changes to the workplace. Many staff and faculty positions were eliminated, while other employees experienced furloughs or reduced work hours. This study examines the experiences of 1,080 higher education professionals from 782 institutions of higher education in the United States serving in various functional roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. We utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to examine quantitative and qualitative survey data from October 2020 to understand how jobs in higher education changed during the pandemic and how these changes were associated with individuals' burnout and intention to leave higher education. Using multiple regression and thematic analysis and the job demands and resources framework, we find that higher education professionals who experienced significant disruption in their work had increased odds of experiencing burnout. We also find that eliminating staff positions and significant levels of burnout were associated with increased intentions to leave their current profession in higher education. In open-ended responses, higher education professionals described how increased job demands through decreased staff and increased workloads were not accompanied with increased resources, leading to burnout. These working conditions negatively affected participants' personal lives, including their physical and mental health. We conclude with recommendations for research on working conditions in higher education in the pandemic-era and emphasize that institutional leaders should seek systemic changes to support employees.
Descriptors: Teacher Burnout, Teacher Persistence, Labor Turnover, Intention, College Faculty, COVID-19, Pandemics, Change, Faculty Workload, Physical Health, Mental Health, Teaching Experience
University of Toronto Press. 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M3H 5T8, Canada. Tel: 416-667-7810; Fax: 800-221-9985; Fax: 416-667-7881; e-mail: journals@utpress.utoronco.ca; Web site: https://www.utpjournals.press/loi/jehr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A