Impact of Teacher Emotional Dysregulation and Burnout on Academic Achievement of Public Senior Secondary School Students in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State

Abstract

Teacher emotional dysregulation and burnout undermine teaching effectiveness and student performance. This study investigated their impact on academic achievement among public senior secondary school students in Eleme Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. In this study, impact was operationalized as the magnitude, direction, and statistical significance of the relationship between teachers’ emotional dysregulation and burnout and students’ academic achievement. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed, involving 80 teachers and 400 students drawn from 10 public senior secondary schools. Data were collected using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Educators Survey (MBI-ES), both adopted in their original standardized forms, as well as students’ examination scores in English Language, Mathematics, and Science. Impact was measured using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results revealed significant negative correlations between teacher emotional dysregulation and students’ academic achievement (r = –0.36, p < .001) and between teacher burnout and academic achievement (r = –0.42, p < .001). Regression analysis indicated that teacher burnout accounted for 28% of the variance in students’ academic achievement, while emotional dysregulation explained 15%, with the combined model accounting for 43% of the total variance. The impact was interpreted as negative and substantial, given the strength and significance of the relationships observed. The findings underscore the importance of teacher emotional regulation and well-being interventions as critical strategies for improving students’ academic outcomes.