Principal Burnout: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Concern about occupational burnout among school principals has grown dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as a potential driver of high principal turnover. However, a lack of field knowledge about how burnout manifests for principals limits the formation of appropriate policies and practices to address burnout in this population. In this systematic review, we identify the definitions, antecedents, correlates, and consequences of principal burnout from the existing research. We coded 99 empirical studies of principal burnout written between 1983 and early 2022. Three themes emerged from the review findings: First, most studies relied on one or more definitions of burnout developed for general human service fields, particularly the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Second, studies focused on the antecedents of principal burnout rather than the consequences. Third, many studies of principal burnout were low quality, and none employed a causal framework to understand principal burnout. Although teacher burnout has been reviewed at length, ours is the first review to focus specifically on school principal burnout.