Digital Burnout and Its Relationship to English Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: A Correlational Study

Abstract

Background and Aim: The increasing integration of digital technology in education has significantly transformed the teaching profession, particularly among English teachers who rely heavily on online platforms, digital instructional materials, and virtual communication tools. While technology improves accessibility and flexibility in teaching, excessive digital engagement may contribute to digital burnout, which can negatively affect teachers’ professional well-being and job satisfaction. This study aimed to determine the relationship between digital burnout and job satisfaction among English teachers, specifically in terms of digital workload, screen fatigue, after-hours digital engagement, professional fulfillment, work environment satisfaction, and motivation to remain in the teaching profession.

Materials and Methods: This study utilized a quantitative non-experimental correlational research design involving (insert actual number of respondents) English teachers from Pantar National High School selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using adopted survey questionnaires based on established and validated instruments related to burnout, technostress, and job satisfaction. Weighted mean was used to determine the level of digital burnout and job satisfaction using the following scale: 3.26–4.00 (High), 2.51–3.25 (Moderate), 1.76–2.50 (Low), and 1.00–1.75 (Very Low). Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (Pearson r) was used to determine the significant relationship between the variables.

Results: The findings revealed that English teachers experienced a moderate level of digital burnout (WM = 2.68), with screen fatigue obtaining the highest weighted mean (WM = 3.21). Meanwhile, the respondents demonstrated a high level of job satisfaction (WM = 3.44), particularly in terms of motivation to remain in the teaching profession (WM = 3.60) and professional fulfillment (WM = 3.50). Furthermore, the computed Pearson r value of -0.421 and p-value of 0.032 indicated a significant moderate negative relationship between digital burnout and job satisfaction. This means that as digital burnout increases, job satisfaction tends to decrease among English teachers.

Conclusion: The study concluded that prolonged digital engagement, excessive screen exposure, and technology-related workload contribute to teachers’ stress and exhaustion, which negatively influence their job satisfaction and professional well-being. The findings highlight the importance of promoting supportive work environments, manageable digital responsibilities, and wellness programs to reduce digital burnout and improve teachers’ motivation, satisfaction, and effectiveness in teaching.