Browsing by Author "Hurme, Kreeta"

The subject of this thesis is the burnout of an early childhood education teacher within induction phase. The purpose of the study was to describe how did the burnout proceed and to find out what factors contributed to the burnout. The study also sought to determine the significance of the induction phase in the careers of an early childhood education teacher. The study describes the factors behind burnout in the context of the kindergarten operating environment, the job description of the early childhood education teacher, and other personal factors. Previous studies have shown that the induction phase is very important for attachment to a new profession and the development of a positive professional identity. Previous studies have shown that burnout develops over time and gradually, due to excessive work demands and pressures that can be amplified by personal characteristics. The study is a qualitative case study. The empirical data of the study consisted of an interview with one teacher in early childhood education in Helsinki. Thematic interviews were used as the interview method and the material was analyzed by means of theory-guided content analysis. The study concludes that many factors contributed to the burnout. In the context of the kindergarten operating environment, the factors behind burnout were unclear job descriptions and lack of human resources. In the context of the job description of an early childhood education teacher, the underlying cause of burnout was the difficulty in fulfilling the work role and the work assignments which did not include to the work role. In the context of other personal factors, the lack of support for the induction phase, and demanding personality contributed to the background of burnout. The findings of the study reinforce previous research on the challenges of induction during the early years of work and emphasize the importance of diverse forms of support for induction as a preventive factor for burnout.