Abstract
Teacher retention and attrition have been issues of national concern since the early 1980s. Research has found that a major factor in teacher shortage is the large number of new teachers leaving the profession after only a few years. Burnout has been shown to be a common reason for this early exit from teaching. One possible factor shown to contribute to burnout is the pressure placed on teachers due to increased focus on high-stakes standardized testing, such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). However, no research has been conducted to investigate this as a possible contributing factor to music teacher burnout. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine beginning music teachers’ perceptions of FCAT expectations and preparations and self-reported levels of burnout. Furthermore, differences in perceptions of FCAT and burnout levels according to number of years in the profession, grade level taught, and primary area taught were also investigated. The results of this study revealed a high level of agreement between music teachers regarding factors related to FCAT and their impact on their music programs and personal job satisfaction. Self-reported burnout levels revealed high levels of emotional exhaustion, but lower levels of overall burnout. Participants attributed low levels of burnout to FCAT on average, however further investigation is warranted. No significant differences were found for number of years in the profession, grade level taught, or primary area taught, but possible trends were identified that future research could investigate further.
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