Burnout, Agency, and Postgraduation Plans in Music Student Teachers

Beginning as early as student teaching, teacher burnout has been linked to demography, work conditions, and agency. The purpose of this study was to investigate burnout in music student teachers and how burnout changes during student teaching. Music education majors ( N = 46) enrolled in student teaching at a large Midwestern university in the United States completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educators Survey (MBI-ES) at Weeks 4, 8, and 13 of student teaching, along with surveys measuring agency, postgraduation plans, work/planning hours, and perceptions of support. Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed significant effects of agency, postgraduation intentions, and week on MBI-ES burnout dimensions. Higher agency was associated with lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and greater personal accomplishment. Those intending to pursue full-time music teaching positions showed lower emotional exhaustion and greater personal accomplishment. Emotional exhaustion decreased from Week 8 to Week 13 among high-agency participants and those planning to teach, yet increased among those with lower agency and no immediate teaching plans. Personal accomplishment increased over time for all participants, remaining higher among those with greater agency and teaching aspirations. Findings highlight the importance of fostering agency and providing targeted support for student teachers, particularly those uncertain about entering the profession.