The Relationship Between Teacher Burnout and Physical Activity Among High School Teachers - Study Findings and Implications

Oct 15, 2026

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Teaching is a high-stress profession that contributes to teacher burnout and harms educators’ physical and emotional well-being, with downstream effects on student learning. This study investigates how physical activity levels relate to burnout among high school teachers, emphasizing implications for teacher leaders. Data from 243 teachers across three high schools in the same district were analyzed using the IPAQ and BAT-23. Results show a significant negative correlation between physical activity and burnout, suggesting that increased activity may reduce burnout through school-based wellness initiatives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature Review: Teacher Burnout and Teacher Well-Being

Method and Measures

Results

Discussion and Implications

The Relationship Between Teacher Burnout and Physical Activity Among High School Teachers J. Kyle Davis Cherokee County School District Miyoshi Juergensen University of Alabama at Birmingham, U.S.A. Mei-Lin Chang Kennesaw State University, U.S.A. Chinasa Elue Kennesaw State University, U.S.A. Teaching is a high-stress profession that often leads to teacher burnout, which negatively impacts educators’ physical and emotional well-being as well as student learning outcomes. This study examines the relationship between physical activity levels and teacher burnout among high school educators, with particular attention to implications for teacher leaders. Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23), data were collected from 243 teachers across three high schools in the same district. Pearson’s correlation and multivariate analysis of variance analyses were conducted using physical activity levels, teacher burnout, and demographic variables (age, gender, race, education level, experience, and school) . Results indicate a significant negative correlation between physical activity and burnout. These findings suggest that increasing physical activity may help mitigate teacher burnout, especially among teacher leaders who often navigate elevated role demands. The study underscores the importance of school-based wellness initiatives that support the well-being of all educators and promote sustainable teacher leadership. Keywords: Teacher burnout, burnout, physical activity, high school teachers, burnout mitigation Introduction Being a teacher is stressful work. Social and professional interactions with students, colleagues, administration, and the community can compound the stress and lead to occupational burnout. In addition to instructional responsibilities, teachers are increasingly called upon to take on leadership roles within their schools, further compounding role-related stress (York-Barr & Duke, 2004; Wenner & Campbell, 2017) . Occupational burnout is defined as possessing a limited ability to deal with the occupational stressors that accompany any job that requires personal interaction (Maslach & Jackson, 1981) . The highest levels of burnout are found among occupations that require the most human interaction, and teaching finds itself atop the list (De Oliveira et al., 2011) . De Oliveira and colleagues outlined teacher stress to be a product of social and professional interactions but changes in the type and amount of interaction experienced by teachers – paired with increases in teachers’ perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic– presented new ramifications for teaching and learning (Jakubowski et al., 2021) . Although occupational burnout is relevant to all professions, and especially relevant to teachers and teacher leaders who often serve as mentors, department chairs, or coordinators of school climate initiatives (Wenner & Campbell, 2017), the present study addressed burnout among teachers with the hope of exploring physical activity as a means by which teachers and teacher leaders can reduce or prevent their own burnout. As schools were sent home in March 2020, teachers began to explore the world of virtual teaching and learning and how to navigate the profession from behind their computer screen bunkered in their home. It may seem that the connection between personal interaction and teacher stress and teacher burnout would lead to lowered levels of teacher stress and teacher burnout, but the opposite proved to be true (Pogere et al., 2019) . Levels of self-reported teacher mental distress significantly increased during the first wave ofCOVID-19 during March 2020 and the second wave of cases from September 2020 through May 2021 (Jakubowski et al., 2021) . Jakubowski and colleagues (2021) reported that teachers were experiencing moderate levels of stress (45.52%), anxiety (46.9%), and depression (44.14%) at the beginning o

FAQs

What relationship does the study find between physical activity and teacher burnout?

The study finds a significant negative correlation between physical activity and burnout, indicating that higher physical activity is associated with lower burnout levels.

How was teacher burnout and physical activity measured in this research?

Physical activity levels were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and teacher burnout was measured using the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23).

Why does the study emphasize teacher leaders?

Teacher leaders often face elevated role demands and can model and promote well-being practices, but their own wellness is rarely prioritized; the study highlights physical activity as a potential way to mitigate burnout for them as well.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Hazel