Moral injury and burnout among saudi educators under vision 2030: An interpretative phenomenological study of systemic ethical tensions

Moral injury is a term that refers to the psychological and emotional impact of an individual's actions, or inactions, which violate their ethical standards and beliefs. This study examined how educators working at educational institutions in Saudi Arabia are experiencing both moral injury and burnout due to the increased reliance on standardized performance assessment and increased bureaucracy associated with the implementation of Vision 2030. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 educators representing a range of curriculum areas and locations throughout Saudi Arabia. The interview data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Six major themes emerged: systemic pressures, curriculum rigidity, reduced relational care, value dissonance, burnout, and lack of institutional empathy. Interviewees frequently expressed feelings of ethical betrayal and spiritual pain that occurred when they had to comply with standardized mandates that contradicted the Islamic pedagogical values of care, justice, and moral guardianship. Furthermore, there were generational differences noted: new teachers reported acute identity insecurity, while experienced teachers appeared to compartmentalize their teaching activities and develop what is referred to as "dual teaching". These findings suggest how moral injury theory may be extended to non-Western and religiously based contexts and illustrate the importance of implementing reform in a way that is relationally sensitive to the ethical commitments and cultural frameworks of educators.