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Burnout

2022

West Chester University

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The Emotional Labor Of Special Educators: A Mixed Methods Study, Erika Thomas Jan 2022

The Emotional Labor Of Special Educators: A Mixed Methods Study, Erika Thomas

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This mixed methods study specifically answered the questions (1) How much and what kind of emotional labor do special educators do? and (2) What are the lived experiences of special education teachers as they relate to emotional labor, mental health, wellbeing, and retention? I used the Brotheridge and Lee Emotional Labor Scale to survey 55 special education teachers employed in public education in a mid-Atlantic County and conducted semi-structured interviews with four of the survey participants. Prior literature had found that teachers reported engaging in emotional labor with students; while true of survey respondents, through the qualitative interviews, I found …