School Burnout in Middle School Students: Role of Problem Solving Skills, Peer Relations and Perceived School Experiences

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 340 - 352, 26.03.2022

Gökhan Güler , Ahmet Bedel

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between middle school students' school burnout, problem-solving skills, peer relationships, and perceived school experiences and to determine the predictive power of perceived school experiences, problem-solving skills, and peer relationships on academic burnout. Method: The research was created based on the survey model. The sample of the study composed of 2538 secondary school students (1257 girls and 1281 boys) who attended ten official secondary schools during the 2018-2019 academic year. In the research, “Elementary School Student Burnout Scale for Grades 6-8”, “Problem Solving Inventory for Children at the Level of Primary Education”, “Peer Relationship Scale” and “Perceived School Experiences Scale” were used. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis and Multiple Hierarchical Regression Analysis were used for the statistical analysis of the study. "p≤.05" was considered as the significance level for the study. Findings: According to the study results, it was determined that there are significant relationships between the predicted variable and the predictor variables. Significant predictors of the school burnout score were determined to be variables of gender and age, school engagement, academic motivation, confidence in problem-solving skills, self-control, avoidance, self-disclosure and loyalty subscales, respectively. Implications for Research and Practice: The importance of including activities related to protective factors in individual and group counselling services planned to prevent or reduce students' school burnout was emphasized. Risk factors that may affect school burnout are discussed and recommendations are made for further research.

Keywords

Middle school students, school burnout, problem-solving skills, peer relations, perceived school experience

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