Profiles of academic burnout: A person-oriented analysis among primary school students in China

A substantial body of research has demonstrated that academic burnout is negatively associated with students’ academic and psychosocial adjustment. However, limited attention has been given to differentiating primary school students based on dimensions of academic burnout through a person-centered approach. This study utilized latent profile analysis to identify distinct academic burnout profiles and examine the roles of meaning in life and academic achievement. The study involved a sample of 967 Chinese primary school students ( M age = 9.42 ± 1.45 years, 50.5% girls). The latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles: a comprehensive burnout profile (33.7%), a healthy academic profile (61.8%), and an alienated and exhausted profile (4.5%). Higher levels of meaning in life and academic achievement were found to be associated with the healthy academic profile. These findings provide valuable insights and carry important implications for educational practices and policy development.