Burnout in Virginia’s Community College Adjuncts With Relation to Gender, Age, and Number of Jobs

Abstract

Burnout is a psychological condition that affects individuals in high stress careers; including higher education faculty are prone. Research suggests women experience burnout at different ages than males. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to apply existing theory to determine if a predictive relationship exists between burnout, emotional exhaustion, and the linear combination of age, gender, and the number of additional jobs held for community college adjunct faculty. Part-time faculty (247) from the Virginia Community College System provided data anonymously. Based on a multiple regression models, age was the primary predictor of emotional exhaustion, but data analysis indicated additional variables need to be considered. A small sample size hindered the generalizability of the results, but it was discovered that males and females between the ages of 26 and 50 were more likely to experience emotional exhaustion.