86 per cent of teachers experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout, study finds

By Cate McCurry, PA

Almost nine out of 10 teachers in primary and secondary-level education are experiencing moderate to high levels of burnout, a new study has found.

The Dublin City University (DCU) study on teacher occupational wellbeing in Ireland indicates burnout is a significant issue across the education sector.

The initial findings indicated a significant proportion of respondents report moderate to high burnout levels, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and support.

The first-of-its-kind research in Ireland also found 42 per cent said they were “unlikely” to remain as teachers.

The research shows 86 per cent of teachers who responded reported moderate to high levels of personal burnout while a similar figure (85 per cent) reported experiencing moderate to high levels of work-related burnout.

Teachers were asked to record their self-rated mental health over the past year and 28 per cent of respondents rated it as poor or very poor.

The survey was undertaken from November last year until February 2025.

When asked if they received any training (pre-service or in-service) on managing their personal wellbeing and mental health, 83 per cent of participants indicated they had not.

When asked to rate their own mental health, 17 per cent of teachers who reported poor/very poor mental health also feel this negatively influenced their ability to engage in teaching and learning with pupils.

Survey results also indicated there are no strong correlations between burnout and age, gender, having a child or children or teaching experience.

The findings implies burnout levels may be influenced by other systemic and organisational factors, such as workload, parental expectations, organisational issues, challenges in working with pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and school expectations and school culture, rather than demographic or experience-related factors.

When asked if they are likely to remain in the profession long-term, 42 per cent indicated they were “unlikely” to stay as teachers.

The research was undertaken by Dr Sabrina Fitzsimons, Dr Pia O’Farrell and Professor Catherine Furlong in DCU’s centre for collaborative research across teacher education (Create), with more than 1,000 teachers participating, making it the largest in-depth study of the subject in Ireland.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises burnout as an occupation-related phenomenon caused by prolonged and unmanaged workplace stress.

According to the WHO, it has three key features: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment.

Burnout has significant implications for the education sector in Ireland, which is already grappling with attracting people into the profession and, thereafter, retaining them.

The authors of the ongoing research said it aims to improve teacher wellbeing and retention by identifying significant causal factors of burnout and poor mental health in teachers.

Dr Fitzsimons, DCU Create co-director, said: “The research demonstrates the need for a comprehensive policy response to teacher occupational wellbeing.

“We must take the poor wellbeing of teachers seriously and, therefore, there should be a co-ordinated approach to prioritise and address the structural factors contributing to teacher burnout.

“It is hoped that a shift in mentality from understanding burnout as an individual issue to a systemic issue will arise from the findings of this study.”

Dr O’Farrell said: “This Irish research is particularly relevant at this time given the persistent concern of teacher supply, policy churn and the evolving curriculum landscape of primary and post-primary education.

“The new primary curriculum, currently being rolled out, marks a significant shift in teaching and learning approaches. Simultaneously, changes to the senior cycle are set to begin implementation from September.

“These developments are occurring alongside the rapid integration of AI in education, which will significantly impact teachers’ approaches to teaching and assessment in the current junior cycle and the upcoming senior cycle reforms.”

Prof Furlong, DCU Create co-director, said: “Teaching in Ireland has a long tradition of being a highly-valued profession, a rewarding vocation, and that is evidenced by the continually high numbers entering teacher education courses around the country.

“However, as concerns about retaining teachers within the profession grow, these initial results highlight the urgent need to acknowledge and address the reality of the occupational wellbeing of teachers.

“The issues identified in this study demonstrate the impact of the ongoing failure to address key systemic issues, such as under-resourcing, growing class size and pupil needs, alongside competing and conflicting demands.”

These initial findings will be presented at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) conference 2025 this weekend.