Reducing the Impacts of Teacher Burnout: A Strategic Research Project

Reducing the Impacts of Teacher Burnout: A Strategic Research Project. Joseph Trivisonno, 2024: Strategic Research Project, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: burnout, instructional leadership team, positive behavior interventions and supports, motivation, multi-tiered systems of support, teacher collaboration. This Strategic Research Project was designed to highlight the need for a comprehensive approach that mitigates the threat of teacher burnout within an elementary school setting. The elementary school at the center of this strategic project is a small elementary located in a rural community in the northeastern United States. Teachers are at the center of the educational process, and are often called upon to fill multiple roles within the organization in order to support students, colleagues, and other stakeholders. The strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis evaluated internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors impacting the organization. The strategic analysis ultimately revealed the critical problem to be addressed during the strategic research project was teacher burnout. To address this problem, four solutions were developed through a literature review that led to the selection of retaining high-performing teachers. Implementing increased opportunities for teacher voice, and support and motivation were the two strategies identified in order to implement this solution. This Strategic Research Project utilized the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix as an additional layer of support when selecting a strategy by comparing the two strategies against the internal and external factors. Through this analysis, support and motivation was selected due to receiving a total attractiveness score of 6.03. An action plan was created and provided a roadmap for successful implementation of this strategy. The action steps include (a) recognition and acknowledgment, (b) establishing school-wide multi-tiered systems of support, (c) improve and streamlined communication, and (d) coaching and mentorship. Retaining high-performing teachers allows organizations to sustain a positive workplace and overall school culture. Teacher burnout has become a hot button issue in the world of education in recent years as teacher shortages, exhaustion, and turnover have strained resources. School and district leaders collaborating with teachers and other stakeholders to solve problems and advance priorities in pursuit of strategic objectives allows for organizations to maintain momentum. The findings from the literature review for this Strategic Research Project provide the foundation of support for the adoption of support and motivation as a strategy to retain high-performing teachers and reduce teacher burnout.