Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Mary Roth

Abstract

Research has shown increased rates of attrition among K-12 teachers since 2021, with middle school teachers being the most dissatisfied. Burnout and job-related stresses are cited as the main causes of teachers leaving the classroom. Teachers experience the same or higher levels of job-related stress as nurses, doctors, EMTs, and social workers while receiving little or no training about compassion fatigue. This study examined compassion fatigue among a sample of core subject middle school teachers from one upstate South Carolina school district. An online survey, informed by a review of current literature, revealed moderate levels of compassion fatigue among the respondents. Although age and years of classroom experience did not prove to be predictors of compassion fatigue, elevated levels of teacher self-efficacy appeared to mitigate symptoms associated with burnout, an aspect of compassion fatigue. Findings suggested that targeted support for teachers provided by schools and school districts is needed to minimize the impact of compassion fatigue; however, the limited sample size of this study necessitates further research to explore the possibility of other contributing environment variables. Future research could result in the advancement of specific professional development and support systems that minimize the impact of compassion fatigue and increase teacher retention.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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