Does teacher burnout affect students? A systematic review of its association with academic achievement and student-reported outcomes

We provide the first systematic review of studies examining the consequences of teacher burnout for students. In doing so, we focused on academic achievement and student-reported outcomes. A systematic literature search returned 14 studies including 5,311 teachers and 50,616 of their students. The findings provided some evidence that teacher burnout is associated with worse academic achievement and lower quality student motivation, but little evidence that it is associated with student wellbeing. There is a clear need for more studies in this area, especially those adopting more robust designs, exploring moderating factors, and examining the mechanisms that explain these relationships. Nonetheless, the present findings provide preliminary evidence that teacher burnout can affect the students they teach.

Automated summary

The study found that teacher burnout may lead to decreased academic achievement and lower student motivation, but there is little evidence of a strong association with student wellbeing. More research is needed in this area, with more robust designs, exploration of moderating factors, and examination of the mechanisms explaining these relationships. However, the findings provide preliminary evidence that teacher burnout can impact the students they teach.