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Introduction
The health emergency by COVID-19 has caused serious repercussions on society. From the announcement made by the Wuhan authorities (China) on the existence of a new type of coronavirus called Sars-COV-2 the levels of concern increased (Osman et al., 2022). It is understandable that people have experienced anguish for their health and have taken measures to avoid infection, especially due to serious respiratory sequelae and the risk of associated death (Lin et al., 2020). In response to this scenario, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the disease as a pandemic, which triggered a series of repercussions on health, social, economic, cultural and, of course, educational (Estrada et al., 2023a).
In the educational field, measures were implemented to guarantee the continuity of the educational service, and one of them was the adoption of virtual teaching, with the aim of avoiding agglomerations and reducing the spread of the virus. However, this transition was hindered by the limitations of connectivity and accessibility that already existed in the educational community, but that became exacerbated with the arrival of the pandemic (Huanca-Arohuanca et al., 2020). On the other hand, the lack of support of parents in the student learning process was evident due to their low sociocultural levels. Likewise, the limited digital competences and the bad methodology of some teachers when developing the classes in a synchronous and asynchronous way during the pandemic worsened the situation.
From the first quarter of 2022, a notable decrease was observed worldwide, both in cases of contagion and in deaths caused by the COVID-19, due to vaccination campaigns. As a result, many activities that were previously carried out in virtual way were again carried out in face-to-face environments, strictly complying with the corresponding biosecurity protocols. In the Peruvian context, the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) made the determination to give classes in person since April 2022.
However, since the teachers returned to face-to-face classes, they have faced significantly more complex challenges. The academic performance of the students was not pertinent to what established the Peruvian educational standards. In other words, the learning acquired during virtual classes were insufficient for most students. As a result, teachers had to strive and dedicate greater attention and support to students to improve their academic performance. This caused an increase in their workload, since they also had to provide school reinforcement at schedules that are not included in their regular working hours. On the other hand, their mental health and satisfaction would be affecting the work they do due to the constant pressure they receive from parents. Therefore, it was decided to emphasize on three topics previously described associated with the post-pandemic and search if workload, as well as burnout syndrome are variables that predict the job satisfaction of teachers.
The workload refers to the level of demand of tasks and their relationship with the mobilization of individual capacities to carry out the assigned work (Calderón et al., 2018). When a worker's workload is adequate, his level of satisfaction with his work is increased. However, an excessive workload can generate stress, emotional tiredness, absenteeism and psychosocial risks, which is known as work overload (Van Woerkom et al., 2015). In this sense, the workload has become a topic of interest to research, since it is a psychosocial risk factor that also impacts on the quality of life and well-being of teachers. Understanding teachers’ perceptions about this category from qualitative and quantitative perspectives becomes fundamental for a more complete study (Londoño et al., 2019). In the case of basic education teachers, it is constantly supported that labor overload is a very prevalent phenomenon, which, as observed, has a negative impact on their health, quality of life and psychological well-being (Calderón et al., 2018).
Regarding burnout syndrome, it is characterized by emotional exhaustion, indifferent and unfavorable attitudes towards others, a low self -assessment and feelings of dissatisfaction with the work done (Maslach, 1982). In addition, it is considered a chronic adaptation disorder that occurs when people are exposed to stressful factors of emotional or interpersonal nature for a prolonged period (Domínguez et al., 2017). Among the main causes of burnout syndrome in teachers are the involvement in students' problems, work overload, documentation preparation, bureaucratic burden, low salary compensation, poor working conditions and lack of recognition despite the efforts they make to improve their performance (Rodríguez & Sánchez, 2018). The prevalence of burnout syndrome has a significant impact on teaching performance when it is not identified and deals with a timely way (Estrada et al., 2021; Fúster et al., 2019).
Regarding job satisfaction, it was defined as the person's global attitude towards their work (Robbins, 2004). Currently, it is considered a crucial factor that reflects the emotional state of workers in relation to their workplace. It implies a series of emotions that experience their specific work (intrinsic satisfaction) and towards the general aspects and environment of the institution (extrinsic satisfaction). These emotions determine their well-being, commitment and productivity (Chiang et al., 2017). In the case of teachers, job dissatisfaction can have a significant impact on academic, administrative and personal conditions. In the academic field, it can affect classroom performance, as well as the ability to stay updated and improve professionally. In the administrative aspect, it can be manifested through delays, absences, rotation, among others. Finally, on a personal level, job dissatisfaction can affect self-esteem, generate stress and cause other somatic disorders (Duche et al., 2019).
During the literature review, an investigation that developed a predictive model that related the workload and psychological distress to the satisfaction of teachers with family responsibilities (Carranza et al., 2022) has been identified. In this sense, the present study acquires a significant relevance at the local, national and international level, when addressing problems associated with the post-pandemics context that teachers face when returning to the face-to-face classes.
This research seeks to contribute to existing knowledge by specifically examining the workload and its relationship with burnout syndrome, as well as its impact on the job satisfaction of Peruvian teachers by retaking the face-to-face classes. Since the return to face-to-face classes imply significant challenges and changes in the educational environment, the findings of this research may have important implications for the formulation of strategies and policies aimed at supporting and strengthening the well-being of teachers, which is essential for Provide quality education and promote a favorable environment for student learning.
The main objective of this research was to determine whether the workload and Burnout syndrome predict the job satisfaction of basic education teachers during the return period to the face-to-face classes.
Materials and methods
A quantitative approach was used, since data collection and analysis were carried out through numerical measurement to answer research questions. Regarding the design, it was non-experimental, since the variables were not intentionally manipulated, they were only observed. On the other hand, the research was a cross-section predictive type because it was inquired if the workload and burnout syndrome could significantly predict job satisfaction as the data collection process was carried out in a single moment (Hernández & Mendoza, 2018).
The sample was made up of 304 teachers belonging to 15 public institutions of basic education in the city of Puerto Maldonado (Peru), an amount that was determined through probabilistic sampling with a 95% confidence level and a level of significance of 5%. Table 1 shows that more teachers women participated, with ages greater than 40, specialized in primary education and were appointed.
Table 1 - Sociodemographic characteristics of the sample
| Sociodemographic variables | n= 304 | % | |
| Gender | Male | 139 | 45.7 |
| Female | 165 | 54.3 | |
| Age group | From 21 to 40 years old | 144 | 47.4 |
| From 41 to 64 years old | 160 | 52.6 | |
| Specialty | Early Childhood Education | 68 | 22.4 |
| Primary education | 133 | 43.7 | |
| Secondary education | 103 | 33.9 | |
| Labor condition | Temporary contract | 130 | 42.8 |
| Open-ended contract | 174 | 57.2 | |
Source: Self made
For data collection, a survey was developed, which was structured in four sections. In the first section, teachers were asked sociodemographic information, such as gender, age group, specialty and labor condition.
In the second section the Workload Scale was applied, which was prepared by Calderón et al. (2018) and evaluates self-perception of self-efficacy of workers related to the difficulties that may exist at work. It is a unifactorial scale and is made up of 6 rated items quantitatively using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Its metric properties were determined by the process of validity and reliability. In that sense, it was established that the scale had an adequate level of validity based on the content (V of Aiken= 0.842) and reliability (α= 0.894).
In the third section the Maslach Burnout Inventory was applied, which was prepared by Maslach & Jackson (1986) and evaluates the prevalence of burnout syndrome caused by the work activities that workers usually carry out. It is composed of 22 Likert type items (never, sometimes and always) and measures 3 dimensions: emotional fatigue (items 1 to 9), depersonalization (items 10 to 14) and personal fulfillment (items 15 to 22). Its psychometric properties were determined in a previous investigation carried out in Peru (Estrada & Gallegos, 2020), in which it was found that the inventory had an adequate level of validity based on the content (V of Aiken= 0.801) and reliability (α= 0.823).
In the last section the Job Satisfaction Scale was applied. It was designed by Palma (1999), is made up of 36 Likert type items (totally disagree, disagree, or disagree or disagree, agree and totally agree) and evaluate seven dimensions: physical or material conditions (items of the 1 to 5), labor or remunerative benefits (items from 6 to 9), administrative policies (items from 10 to 14), social relations (items from 15 to 18), personal development (items from 19 to 24), task performance (items from 25 to 30) and relationship with authority (items from 31 to 36). Its metric properties were also determined in a previous investigation carried out in Peru (Estrada & Gallegos, 2021), in which it was found that the scale had an adequate level of validity based on the content (V of Aiken= 0.947) and reliability (α= 0.951).
To develop the data collection process, the respective authorization was requested to the Tambopata Local Educational Management Unit. Once obtained, the permit of the management personnel of each educational institution was managed and a virtual coordination meeting was requested with the teachers to make them known the objective of the research and guide the process of development of the instruments. Subsequently, the survey link through WhatsApp® was socialized with teachers to access the Google® form application in which the questions were structured. Subsequently, the teachers accessed the aforementioned form and proceeded to respond to the items, whose approximate duration was 20 minutes. The access to the form was closed when receiving the 304 responses and then were consolidated in a database to proceed to qualify them.
Regarding data analysis, it was performed through the SPSS V.25 software. First, the descriptive statistics of the workload, burnout syndrome and job satisfaction variables (mean, standard deviation, asymmetry and kurtosis) were found. Subsequently, Pearson's correlation analysis was carried out in order to know if the study variables were significantly correlated (p<0.05). Finally, the multiple linear regression analysis was performed with the purpose of determining whether the workload and burnout syndrome predicted the job satisfaction of teachers (p<0.05).
Regarding ethical considerations, this investigation was carried out in accordance with the ethical principles established in Helsinki's statement and was supported by the Institutional Ethics Committee. It is also important to note that teachers were informed about the purpose and nature of the research. Subsequently, they gave their informed consent and thus guaranteed privacy, confidentiality, anonymity and voluntary nature of their participation.
Results and discussion
Table 2 can see the descriptive statistics of the workload, burnout syndrome and job satisfaction variables. In that sense, it is observed that the skewness and kurtosis coefficients of the three variables are within the threshold of ± 1.5, which indicates that the data is approximated to the normal distribution.
Table 2 - Descriptive results of workload, burnout syndrome, and job satisfaction variables
| Variables | Mean | Standard deviation | Skewness | Kurtosis |
| Job satisfaction | 102.67 | 8.125 | -1.305 | -1.227 |
| Workload | 20.12 | 3.502 | -0.841 | -0.506 |
| Burnout syndrome | 38.83 | 4.829 | 0.967 | 1.019 |
Source: Self made
Table 3 shows the results of the correlation analysis. In that sense, job satisfaction corrected itself in reverse and significant way with the workload (r= -0.738, p<0.05) and burnout syndrome (r= -0.716, p <0.05). Similarly, it was found that the workload and burnout syndrome were correlated directly and significantly (r= 0.729, p<0.05).
Table 3 - Correlation between job satisfaction, workload, and burnout syndrome variables
| Variables | Job satisfaction | Workload | Burnout syndrome |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - | - |
| Workload | -0.738** | 1 | - |
| Burnout syndrome | -0.716** | 0.729** | 1 |
** The correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (bilateral).
Source: Self made
Table 4 shows the multiple correlation coefficient (R), the determination coefficient (R2), the adjusted determination coefficient, the standard error (SE) and the F value in an ANOVA. It is observed that the adjusted determination coefficient R2 was equal to 0.572, which means that the workload and burnout syndrome are variables that explain 57.2% of the total variance of the job satisfaction variable. As we know, when the coefficient of determination is higher, its explanatory power of the regression equation is greater and, therefore, it has a greater prediction power of the dependent variable. On the other hand, the F value was equal to 80.040 (p<0.05), which indicates that there is a significant linear relationship between workload and burnout syndrome (predictor variables) and job satisfaction (dependent variable).
Table 4 - Multiple correlation coefficient R, R2, adjusted R2, standard error (SE), and F
| Model | R | R2 | Adjusted R2 | SE | F | p |
| 1 | -0.759a | 0.576 | 0.572 | 3.029 | 80.040 | 0.000b |
a Predictor variable: (Constant), workload, and burnout syndrome
b Dependent Variable: Job Satisfaction
Source: Self made
Table 5 carried out a multiple linear regression analysis by means of the steps method, which included the variable job satisfaction as a dependent variable and workload and burnout syndrome as independent variables or predictors. Likewise, the non-standardized regression coefficients (B), standardized regression coefficients (β) and statistical coefficients were related to predictive variables. The β coefficients (0.639 and 0.350) point out that the workload and burnout syndrome predict significantly job satisfaction. On the other hand, it was determined that the T value of the beta regression coefficients of the predictor variables were statistically significant (p<0.05).
Table 5 - Predictors of teachers' job satisfaction
| Predictors | B | Standard error | β | T | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Constant) | 21.402 | 0.530 | 32.918 | 0.000 | |
| Workload | -0.375 | 0.493 | 0.639 | -10.562 | 0.000 |
| Burnout syndrome | -0.248 | 0.537 | 0.350 | -5.209 | 0.000 |
Dependent Variable: Job Satisfaction
Source: Self made
Job satisfaction is a fundamental aspect in teachers' life, since it not only influences their personal well -being, but also in their performance and the quality of education they provide. In the Peruvian context, teachers face various challenges in their work, including high demands, pressure for the achievement of results, resources limitations and a significant emotional burden when interacting with students and parents. Considering that Peruvian teachers have already returned to face-to-face classes after a prolonged virtual education period due to pandemic, it is essential to understand how the workload and burnout syndrome can affect their job satisfaction at this stage. The transition to the face-to-face classes implies new challenges and labor demands, which could influence the perception of teachers about their work and their level of satisfaction. Therefore, in the present investigation it was aimed to determine whether the workload and burnout syndrome predict the job satisfaction of basic education teachers during the return period to the face-to-face classes.
The descriptive results indicate that the average of the job satisfaction, workload and burnout syndrome variables were 102.67, 20.12 and 38.83, respectively. By contrasting these measures with the lower and upper values of each variable, it can be highlighted that teachers valued job satisfaction, workload and burnout syndrome at a moderate level. It is important to point out that a moderate evaluation of job satisfaction may indicate that teachers experience both positive aspects and areas of improvement in their work environment. On the other hand, the moderate perception of workload and burnout syndrome suggests that teachers may be dealing with a level of demand and stress that requires adequate care and support measures. The exposed finding is consistent with some investigations carried out in the post-pandemics’ context (Carranza et al., 2022; Estrada et al. 2023b).
On the other hand, it was found that there was an inverse and significant correlation between workload and job satisfaction, which means that the more demanding the work of teachers, the less satisfied they feel their work. This finding coincides with an investigation carried out in Peru, in which they also found that the workload influences the satisfaction of teachers (Sucapuca et al., 2022). In the same way, in the present research it was determined that burnout syndrome also correlated in reverse and significant way with job satisfaction, which implies that as teachers experience higher levels of burnout syndrome, their level of job satisfaction tends to decrease. Similar results were obtained in an investigation carried out in Argentina, in which they also found that burnout syndrome predicted teachers' satisfaction (Malander, 2016).
According to the predictive model, the workload and burnout syndrome predict the job satisfaction of basic education teachers during the period of return to the face-to-face classes. The above indicates that the workload and burnout syndrome would determine the level of satisfaction that teachers have on the work. Then, if a work overload is perceived and, simultaneously, there are problems associated with burnout syndrome, the perception of job satisfaction will be unfavorable. This finding is similar to that reported in Peru, where an investigation was conducted in which they built a predictive model between the workload and work-related strain predicted significantly the satisfaction of teachers with family responsibilities (Carranza et al., 2022). Similarly, it is related to the findings of an investigation carried out in China, in which they reported that the workload and teaching stress significantly predicted teaching satisfaction (Zang et al., 2022).
In the present investigation, relevant topics were addressed that stand out during the context of return to the face-to-face classes, since at the local, national and international level they have been little studied. In that sense, the findings become important and innovative. However, there are some limitations, such as the quantity and homogeneity of the sample, which does not allow to generalize the results. On the other hand, data collection instruments were self-administered and could have generated social desirability bias. Depending on the above, it would be important that in future research the size of the sample is extended, including more teachers, both from the city and rural areas, and techniques and instruments were used to collect data that complement and give greater objectivity to the aforementioned process.
Conclusions
The closure of educational institutions due to the pandemic for COVID-19 and the subsequent virtualization of classes affected students, since many of them did not have the same necessary opportunities, tools and access to continue learning during said context. Faced with this, the post pandemics period has brought with it a series of challenges and adjustments. In the case of teachers, the return to face-to-face classes after a prolonged period of distance education raises new challenges and opportunities to reflect on their workload, mental health and job satisfaction.
In the present research it was concluded that job satisfaction was correlated in reverse and significantly with workload and burnout syndrome of teachers. On the other hand, the resulting explanatory model allowed to identify that the workload and burnout syndrome were variables that predicts job satisfaction of basic education teachers during the period of return to the face-to-face classes. Therefore, it is necessary to develop educational interventions and policies that promote a healthy and satisfactory work environment for teachers. It is also essential that the educational authorities recognize and value the mental health and well-being of teachers, providing them with the necessary support and creating optimal conditions for their professional and personal development. Only in this way a quality education and a favorable environment to the growth and success of our educators and, also, of our students, could be ensured.
