Compassion Fatigue: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Public School Special Education Teachers

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of public school special education teachers who have experienced or are experiencing compassion fatigue. The theory guiding this study was the self-determination theory, as it explains how individuals are motivated by competence, relatedness, and autonomy and aligns with the topic of compassion fatigue. The central research question of the study was, what are the lived experiences of public school special education teachers who have experienced or are experiencing compassion fatigue? The study used a transcendental phenomenological study design. Individual interviews, focus groups, and artifacts were used to collect data on the eligible participants. The sample of participants were current special education teachers working in the public school system in central Georgia. This regional study used Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenal analysis to develop themes emerging from the study. Five themes emerged from the study including the negative implications of compassion fatigue on wellness, compassion fatigue and its impact on work-life balance, compassion fatigue versus burnout, lack of support, and managing compassion fatigue. This study brought awareness to the experiences of special educators dealing with compassion fatigue, bringing attention to the need of resources and support extended to special education teachers who work with such a critical population of students.