How Strongly Is Teachers’ Burnout Related to Teacher Absenteeism, Teacher–Student Interactions, and Student Motivation and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Teacher burnout is assumed to impair the cognitive, motivational, and social functioning of teachers, thereby hindering their professional behavior. Although this is a rapidly growing field of research, a systematic research synthesis is still lacking. Therefore, we meta-analytically summarized primary studies on the work-related correlates of teacher burnout symptoms in terms of absenteeism, the quality of teacher–student interactions (i.e., emotional support, classroom management, and instructional support), and student motivation and achievement. Meta-analyses of 86 studies demonstrated negative associations between teacher burnout symptoms and teacher–student interactions, and student motivation and achievement, whereas absenteeism was positively related to burnout. Meta-regressions showed that the negative associations between teacher burnout, teacher–student interactions, and student motivation varied significantly depending on the rater perspective (i.e., teacher self-report vs external reports). Building on the meta-analytic findings, we propose directions for future research and highlight practical implications for intervention programs.