Author
Karen Rhede T. Manulat*
University of the Visayas, Cebu City, Philippines
Abstract
The following paper analyzes the reasons for the resignation of a mid-career public secondary school teacher in the Philippines, focusing particularly on the impact of a high workload on teacher burnout and turnover. Based on Maslach and Leiter’s Burnout Theory and the Job Demands-Resources theory, the paper discusses the impact of a long time spent in the stressful environment characterized by high workload, organizational pressures, and limited autonomy on the development of emotional exhaustion and lack of job satisfaction, leading to teacher quitting. Through an analysis of Philippine and international literature, it can be noted that in the Philippine case, teachers assume various roles other than the educational one. It is found that non-financial issues such as increased workload, role conflicts, and absence of organizational backing play a crucial part in the decision making process of leaving teaching by teachers, even if financial benefits may be enough. The existence of “multitasking culture” and lack of demarcation between work and private life also contribute to stress, particularly for midcareer teachers responsible for mentoring other staff members. It shows weaknesses of current teacher retention policy and offers some solutions such as organizational backing, clear role differentiation, workload control, and psychological counseling.
Keywords: Teacher burnout, workload management, educational administration, Philippines.
*Corresponding author / Email: kareversity@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021156
Recommended citation:
Manulat, K. R. T. (2026). A DepEd Teacher III’s struggle with work overload despite job security: A case study. Pantao (International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (2), 4361-4371. https://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021156
Read the full text
References
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands–resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056
Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. I. (2014). Burnout and work engagement: The JD–R approach. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 389–411. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091235
Ballet, K., & Kelchtermans, G. (2009). Struggling with workload: Primary teachers’ experience of intensification. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(8), 1150–1157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.02.012
Bautista, A., Wong, J., & Gopinathan, S. (2022). Teacher workload and well-being in Southeast Asia: Implications for policy and practice. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 42(3), 455–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1908221
Borman, G. D., & Dowling, N. M. (2008). Teacher attrition and retention: A meta-analytic and narrative review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 78(3), 367–409. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308321455
Bruns, B., & Luque, J. (2015). Great teachers: How to raise student learning in Latin America and the Caribbean. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0151-8
Collie, R. J., Shapka, J. D., & Perry, N. E. (2012). School climate and social-emotional learning: Predicting teacher stress, job satisfaction, and teaching efficacy. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(4), 1189–1204. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029356
David, C. C., Albert, J. R. G., & Vizmanos, J. F. V. (2019). Pressures on public school teachers and implications on quality. Philippine Institute for Development Studies. https://pids.gov.ph
Day, C., & Gu, Q. (2009). Veteran teachers: Commitment, resilience and quality retention. Teachers College Press.
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands–resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
Hakanen, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2006). Burnout and work engagement among teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 43(6), 495–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2005.11.001
Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. Teachers College Press.
Harris, A. (2008). Distributed leadership: According to the evidence. Journal of Educational Administration, 46(2), 172–188. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230810863253
Harris, A. (2013). Distributed leadership matters: Perspectives, practicalities, and potential. Corwin Press.
Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. University of California Press.
Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). Teacher turnover and teacher shortages: An organizational analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38(3), 499–534. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038003499
Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 201–233. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311403323
Johnson, S. M., Kraft, M. A., & Papay, J. P. (2012). How context matters in high-need schools: The effects of teachers’ working conditions on their professional satisfaction and their students’ achievement. Teachers College Record, 114(10), 1–39.
Leithwood, K., Mascall, B., & Strauss, T. (2008). Distributed leadership according to the evidence. Routledge.
Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Burnout. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118993811
Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397
OECD. (2019). TALIS 2018 results (volume I): Teachers and school leaders as lifelong learners. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en
OECD. (2020). Education at a glance 2020: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/69096873-en
Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Maslach, C. (2009). Burnout: 35 years of research and practice. Career Development International, 14(3), 204–220. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620430910966406
Second Congressional Commission on Education. (2023). EDCOM II year one report: Fixing the foundations of Philippine education. https://edcom2.gov.ph
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2017). Motivation and burnout in teachers: Relations with job demands and resources. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 152–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.006
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed leadership. Jossey-Bass.
UNESCO. (2021). Teacher policy development guide. UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org
Wenner, J. A., & Campbell, T. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership. Review of Educational Research, 87(1), 134–171. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316653478
York-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 255–316. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074003255
Yin, H. (2015). The effect of teachers’ emotional labour on teaching satisfaction: Moderation of emotional intelligence. Teachers and Teaching, 21(7), 789–810. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2014.995482