Introduction

Stress is a phenomenon that everyone is likely to face in the workplace due to time and resource limitations or other forms of pressure coming from colleagues, superiors or organizational structures. Research has consistently demonstrated that stress and burnout are positively related to increased turnover, increased absenteeism and decreased performance (Riolli and Savicki 2006). Due to burnout at the workplace, some teachers are unable to give their best as demonstrated by stressors in local educational institutions (Naseem and Khalid 2012). According to Rajarajeswari (2010), developing countries are going through a transitional phase and teachers face increased levels of stress due to the changing consequences.

Numerous studies have confirmed a reliable association between the Big Five personality traits and burnout (Cano-García et al. 2005; Hakanen et al. 2006), as the personality traits of Openness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional stability, and Conscientiousness are found to be negatively related with burnout. Generally, prevailing literature confirms that if one has positive/strong personality then burnout may be low (Khalil et al. 2017). It has been well established that personality influences a person’s attitude to unpredictable and difficult situations. In addition, emotionally intelligent people have more potential to deal with burnout situations. People with strong personalities have a negative association with burnout conditions (Ganjeh et al. 2010).

Several studies have found an association between big five traits and self-efficacy (Judge et al. 2007). Efficacy beliefs represent key cognitions that may protect workers against the negative outcomes of job stress (Bandura 2006; Brown, Lent, Telander & Tramayne, 2011; Capone and Petrillo 2012). According to social cognitive theory, self-efficacy makes a difference in how people think, feel, and act. Studies have found that low levels of efficacy beliefs are associated with high burnout and depression among teachers (Capone and Petrillo 2016; Yang and Farn 2005). Self-efficacy is refers to the confidence of a teacher in her or his ability to successfully complete a task. According to the research of Dicke et al. (2015), teachers’ lower levels of self-efficacy is negatively linked with classroom distractions and emotional exhaustions. According to Schwarzer and Hallum (2008), high self-efficacy beliefs of teachers negatively predict emotional exhaustions and depersonalization. Generally, teachers high in self-efficacy have greater personal resources, which result in lower levels of burnout among them (Schwarzer and Hallum 2008).

A high quality school climate can cause a teacher’s sense of obligation to repay the organization. Based on social exchange theory, when teachers perceive that the school values his/her contributions and provides timely and appropriate support, then they will feel more obligated to repay the school. Similarly, teachers with perceptions of high-quality school climates may devote greater amounts of cognitive, emotional and behavioral resources to their work. Previous studies have shown that an educator’s negative perceptions of the school climate contribute to a series of teacher outcomes, such as burnout, dissatisfaction, and demotivation (Cavico and Mujtaba 2020; Shoaib et al. 2019; Mujtaba 2019; Shoaib and Mujtaba 2018; Sarwar et al. 2018; Raza et al. 2018; Zareen et al. 2015; Mujtaba et al. 2020; Mujtaba and Senathip 2020; Itty et al. 2019). On the one hand, efficacy is concerned with teachers’ beliefs about their ability and it is linked with their mental health (Dellinger et al. 2008). According to Bandura’s social cognitive theory, teacher self-efficacy is concerned with a teacher’s personal judgment or belief about his or her capabilities to teach. These beliefs are active and learned behaviors rather than fixed character traits and they are influenced by how people perceive the opportunities and weaknesses within their environment (Bandura 2006).

Burnout is commonly theorized as a three dimensional concept having emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and decreased personal accomplishments (Maslach et al. 2001). Emotional exhaustion is about sense of exhaustion due to work pressure. Depersonalization can be seen as those disconnected behaviors toward the clients (students) and work. Reduced personal tasks is about negative reactions related to one’s own work which create delays in individual, professional and departmental success (Schaufeli et al. 2009). According to Freudenberger (1975) employees are facing trouble in performing their job due to various worrying factors (Skaalvik and Skaalvik 2010). This condition of emotional exhaustion is being experienced mostly in helping professions such as teaching and nursing (Chiron et al. 2010). A number of studies have shown that teaching professionals face extreme stress at work which causes burnout conditions among them (Abenavoli et al. 2013). Various features of teacher burnout are negatively related with wellbeing of teachers, job performance (Klusmann et al. 2006), and it can also affect performance of students negatively (Klusmann et al. 2008a, b). The main purpose of the current study are to analyze the personality traits and self-efficacy as predictive factors of burnout syndrome among public school teachers, which has been emphasized by other researchers (Yao et al. 2018).

Grayson and Alvarez (2008) assessed the impact of personality traits on job burnout, essentially focusing on the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of school climate. Normally teachers are considered as most important pillars of education who regulate the processes of teaching and learning and have a significant influence on the attainments of students and quality of education (Scheopner 2010). Teaching is an emotionally demanding profession and a good teacher devotes his or her whole heart and mind to facilitate students. Teachers are expected to meet the diverse needs of students and address positive and negative behaviors on a daily basis. Furthermore, to create a warm and safe classroom climate, teachers have to display positive emotions and hide negative feelings. Teachers’ experience of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal achievements have deep consequences for successful completion of tasks (Klusmann et al. 2008a, b). Various features of teacher burnout are negatively related with wellbeing of teachers, job performance (Klusmann et al. 2006), and it can also affect performance of students negatively (Klusmann et al. 2008a, b). Burnout occurs when available resources are not sufficient to fulfill job demands (Maslach et al. 2001; Maslach 2003). Several researchers on teacher burnout have concentrated both on characteristics of classroom and school environment including disciplinary problems of students and characteristics of teachers including self-efficacy which may have positive or negative effect on burnout (Durr et al. 2014). These are the main reasons why this research will be conducted and the proposed study is going to answer the following research questions:

  1. 1.

    What is the impact of personality traits on burnout?

  2. 2.

    What is the impact of personality traits on self-efficacy?

  3. 3.

    What is the impact of self-efficacy on burnout?

  4. 4.

    Does self-efficacy mediate the relationship between personality traits and burnout?

  5. 5.

    Does school climate moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout?

Literature Review

Personality moderates how people interact, behave and react with each other and it can influence human behavior. Studies conducted on employees have found a linkage between the various dimensions of burnout and different personality traits (Alarcon et al. 2009). According to the Big Five factor model of personality, agreeableness individuals are cooperative, caring and trusting; openness to experience individuals are creative and independent minded; conscientiousness people are loyal, responsible and organized; extraversion trait is related to being assertive, sociable and energetic; and emotionally stable individuals are usually peaceful and calm (Nelson 2011; Judge et al. 2013; Zacher 2014).

According to Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter 2001, professional burnout is defined as emotional exhaustion syndrome, depersonalization and decrease in performance levels, which frequently occurs in people working in professions requiring extreme interpersonal contact with workers, clients (students) or the public (Zimbardo and Boyd 2008). Emotional exhaustion is a threatening phase in which the teacher shows reluctance and reduced interest in effectively performing his/her professional duties. In addition, it causes boredom, irritability, tension, fatigue, gastric disorders, and headaches (Festinger 2009). Depersonalization is about the teacher’s indifference and lack of concern for student affairs, as well as dehumanization, classification and discriminatory treatment of them (Kirenko and Zubrzycka-Maciąg 2011). Depersonalized behaviors of teachers lead to reduce job meaning and job satisfaction and it becomes impossible for teachers to attain professional successes, which in turn causes a lack of personal accomplishments (Kirenko and Zubrzycka-Maciąg 2011).

Self-efficacy is a motivational construct based on teachers’ self-evaluated judgments of competence rather than an objective evaluation (Tschannen-Moran and Hoy 2007). According to Brown et al. (2011), perceptions to remain safe from burnout and stress is a key variable. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the teacher’s self-efficacy is negatively related to job burnout (Brouwers and Tomic 2000a; Schwarzer and Hallum 2008; Skaalvik and Skaalvik 2010).

School climate is defined as the atmosphere, shared norms, expectations and culture of a school through social and professional interactions within the school system (Cohen and Michelli 2006). Other definitions of school climate include shared beliefs, values, and attitudes that shape interactions between the students, teachers, and administrators (Pas et al. 2010) and the quality and character of school (National School Climate Center 2007). This climate include quality and accessibility of resources, collaborative working and student–teacher relationships within the school community (Johnson et al. 2007; Weisel and Dror 2006). Likewise, when teachers perceive their school environment is appropriate then they would be more motivated and better able to achieve their goals through reasoning. According to Grayson and Alvarez (2008), bad student-peer relationships and less contribution or lack of engagement in decisions are related with greater levels of emotional exhaustion among teachers.

Personality and Burnout

Everyone has a different approach to control stressful situations based on their unique personality profiles (Bianchi and Brisson 2019). People respond differently to any stressful situations. Swider and Zimmerman (2010) have confirmed a reliable association between the Big Five personality traits and burnout (Cano-García et al. 2005; Hakanen et al. 2006). Burnout has been measured as feelings of emotional exhaustion, as well as cognitive and physical fatigue due to stress (Melamed et al. 2006).

According to Nia and Zadeh (2019), extraversion leads to burnout in teaching professionals. According to Olino et al. (2019), highly extraverted personalities are expected to be joyful, hopeful and passionate which make them less likely to experience burnout; as such, this personality characteristic has a negative influence on job burnout dimensions.

Agreeable individuals are mostly sympathetic in social collaborations due to their kindness. According to Saucier (2019), highly agreeable individuals are often linked with friendliness, being supportive, concerned with social dealings and are more likely to effectively handle uncertainties (Cano-García et al. 2005). Barańczuk (2019) affirmed that agreeable people are more inclined to keep healthy relations and people high in extraversion trait are also focused on keeping good social relations. Divinakumar, Bhat, Prakash, and Srivastava (2019) reported the negative effects of agreeableness on several job burnout components.

Conscientiousness trait is negatively linked with burnout dimensions. Alarcon et al. (2009) reported that highly conscientious personalities are more productive and capable to solve problems and less likely to face burnout conditions. Consequently, conscientiousness is likely to have a negative effect on teacher’s burnout similar to the traits of extraversion and agreeableness.

Openness to experience personalities are more creative, intelligent and interesting. Teachers high in this trait are likely to experience new events which make them more likely to be humorous in dealing with stressful conditions. They are able to cope with challenging situations and experience less burnout (Williams et al. 2017). Emotionally stable teachers are unlikely to be nervous, uncertain and unhappy. According to Kim et al. (2019), emotionally stable individuals are not ready to live with negative feelings about themselves and others which make them immune to burnout conditions. Based on the above literature, the following hypothesis is proposed:

  • Hypothesis 1: Personality is significantly associated with burnout.

Personality Traits and Self-Efficacy

Previous researches have connected the Big Five personality traits and self-efficacy (Judge and Ilies 2002; Judge et al. 2007). Conscientiousness assists job commitment and engagement which in turn raises confidence on their capabilities (Brown et al. 2011). According to Sanchez-Cardona et al. (2012), openness to new experiences converts perceptions of demands into challenges, which broadens task engagement and self-efficacy. Agreeableness enables entry into new activities and high in agreeableness trait leads to higher levels of self-efficacy (Caprara et al. 2010). According to Judge and Ilies (2002), extraversion also leads to increased levels of self-efficacy.

Beyond extraversion, research suggests that conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness are related with self-efficacy of teachers (Djigić et al. 2014; Navidnia 2009). Outside these conclusions, the most stable predictor of self-efficacy is conscientiousness among other personality traits (Judge et al. 2007). Mostly conscientious teachers are active in educational activities due to their disciplined nature. This provokes their ability to engage students effectively. According to Poulou (2007), teachers high in openness trait use different approaches to teach due to their intellectual curiosity. Therefore, they can engage students by implementing appropriate instructional strategies. Highly agreeable individuals are mostly selfless, straightforward, and have healthy relations with others. According to Senler and Sungur-Vural (2013), agreeable teachers have efficacy for engaging students in healthy and educational activities. Hence, the following hypothesis is proposed.

  • Hypothesis 2: There is a significant relationship between personality and self-efficacy.

Self-Efficacy and Burnout

Teacher efficacy is about competences to achieve their set targets related to student learning (Madya et al. 2018). In fact, several researchers have confirmed that emotional responses of teachers are linked with self-efficacy (Egyed and Short 2006), performances of teachers (Ware and Kitsantas 2007), and accomplishments of students (Gray 2016).

More recently, it is proposed by researchers that effectiveness of teachers is mainly due to their strong self-efficacy beliefs. Self-efficacy is also considered as preventive mechanism in burnout situations. Self-efficacy theory has stimulated considerable discussion, and knowledge on several emotional and relational issues with burnout situations (Karadağ et al. 2019).

Researchers have frequently established a link between teacher efficacy and burnout (Egyed and Short 2006; Emmanuel 2019). So higher levels of teacher efficacy beliefs will results in less chances of teachers’ burnout. Self-efficacy reduces job burnout among teachers. Previous studies investigated the features that are demonstrated in the relationship between self-efficacy, and job burnout of primary and secondary school teachers (Conen et al. 2011). Moreover, given that self-efficacy can play a corrective action on job burnout, and it also affects job burnout as an intermediary factor.

A lower self-efficacy level may also increase job burnout among teachers. It has been found that self-efficacy could predict job burnout among teachers (Emmanuel 2019). Teachers with low self-efficacy could experience a higher degree of job burnout and they are most likely to leave the teaching profession. Self-efficacy beliefs are an important personal resource in circumstances of stress and burnout (Petitta and Vecchione 2011). Indeed, the authors found that weaker self-efficacy beliefs were related to higher scores on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (García-Carmona et al. 2019). Hence, based on the above studies the following hypothesis is proposed:

  • Hypothesis 3: Self-efficacy is significantly associated with burnout.

The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

A cross-sectional study (Brouwers and Tomic 2000b) has confirmed that self-efficacy of teachers is considerably linked with burnout dimensions. It helps in handling stress and achieving one’s goals by implementing different strategies (Yost et al. 2019).

Self-efficacy is about one’s capability to achieve set targets efficiently (Yost et al. 2019). Self-efficacy is not a skill of an individual but confidence on skills which will enhance their decision making approaches. Individuals having high self-efficacy beliefs are mostly inclined to deal with pressure and cope with uncertainties. They have the courage to fulfill their responsibilities without feeling extreme pressure (Zhang and Lu 2009).

The contribution of individual traits in occurrence of burnout have been supported by different scholars (Gramstad et al. 2013). Individuals high in self-efficacy have relatively less chance to face burnout conditions due to active coping strategies (Jenaro et al. 2007; Karanikola et al. 2007). Self-Efficacy signifies reaction of someone to different challenging situations. It focuses on an individual’s behavioral and emotional reactions to different circumstances.

Countless researches have linked the Big Five traits and self-efficacy (Judge et al. 2007). It is stated that individuals having high self-efficacy belief are inclined to adopt positive coping strategies when they face severe stressful conditions. Because they believe in their capabilities to complete tasks without being too stressed. Earlier readings have exposed that personality is a key factor in job-related burnout, and individuals with a certain personality type tend to be disposed to job-related burnout. Studies have shown that people with a strong/positive personality have better self-efficacy and they had less burnout. Moreover, people having weak/negative personalities have low self-efficacy, which may lead to severe burnout when dealing with job challenges.

Different researches have confirmed that self-efficacy has a substantial effect on anxiety, depression and depersonalization. One study indicated that self-efficacy has a significant negative association with exhaustion (Capone et al. 2019). Individuals low in self-efficacy have other negative emotions like low self-esteem, dependence, and irritability (Marek et al. 2017). Research has confirmed a negative association between self-efficacy and dimensions of burnout (Alidosti et al. 2016). Therefore, self-efficacy is an essential predictor of burnout. So on the basis of above discussion, we can say that teachers’ self-efficacy for engaging and managing students vary on the basis of their personality traits. Therefore, we can conclude that self-efficacy will be strong in teachers that are high in conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and emotional stability. So the following mediating hypothesis is proposed.

  • Hypothesis 4: Self-efficacy is mediating the relationship between personality and burnout.

Self-Efficacy and School Climate on Burnout

According to the social cognitive theory, strong relations with subordinates predicts self-efficacy positively and burnout among teachers negatively (Yost et al. 2019). In addition to this, socially supportive climate in schools seems to be a strong predictor of lower levels of teacher burnout. Incompatible relations with others in school appears to advance burnout.

A well-organized school environment provides the necessary mechanisms to avoid burnout among teachers. Earlier researches have exposed that co-worker support can prevent teachers from burnout (Khan et al. 2017). In addition to this, studies have indicated that insightful peer-support is an effective element for prevention of burnout (Bergström et al. 2008). In harmony, different studies uncovered that social support from colleagues is helpful in avoiding burnout in the teaching profession. Moreover, a study of teacher’s burnout identified that students’ disruptive or negative attitudes lead towards demotivation and emotional exhaustion among teachers. Disruptive behaviors of students are associated with lower self-efficacy beliefs which result in burnout conditions (Fernet et al. 2012).

Past studies have demonstrated that teacher’s perception of school climate is related to job burnout (Pas et al. 2010; Fernet et al. 2012; Yao et al. 2014). Teacher’s burnout affects their mental health. The predictors of job burnout in teachers are both contextual and individual factors. Grayson and Alvarez (2008) found that aspects of school climate like worse student-peer relationships and less community involvement were associated with higher levels of emotional exhaustion among teachers. Lim and Eo (2014) found that teachers’ successful dialogue with colleagues, as an element of school climate, was also associated with lower levels of teacher’s burnout. So on the basis of above literature support, the following moderating hypothesis is proposed.

  • Hypothesis 5: School Climate is moderating the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout.

Research Framework and Model

The conceptual framework is given in Fig. 1, which describes the relationship between the variables. In this study, personality is independent variable, burnout is dependent variable, self-efficacy is the mediator and school climate is tested as a moderator. Socio cognitive theory, stage environment fit theory, job-demand resource model, self-determination theory, and conservation of resource (COR) theory underpin the research model.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Theoretical framework

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The basic idea of socio cognitive theory is that individuals with low general self-efficacy are prone to burnout because they take everything negatively. Individuals having high self-efficacy are more inclined towards achieving exciting goals because they have a strong belief on their competences (Khani and Mirzaee 2015).

Stage environment fit theory links the skills and capacities of individual with the environment (Blijlevens et al. 2018). According to job-demand resource model, when job demands are high and resources are limited then it would result in stress and burnout among individuals (Scanlan and Still 2019). Self-determination theory supports the view that individuals would experience job strain, if their personal characteristics are incompatible with work environment (Visser et al. 2019). A basic principle of COR theory is that stress arises when people experience resource (personal) loss, or fail to gain resources after significant resource investment (Uludag and Yaratan 2010).

Methodology

This study is a quantitative research to test the hypothesis and the connection between independent and dependent variables with the help of numeric results. The deductive approach will be used to address the proposed hypotheses. As we are developing hypotheses based on existing theory, it is linked more to positivism (Saunders et al. 2012). In this study, survey research design is adopted to analyze the variables’ relationships, because the survey method is one of the most prevalent and best ways for directing research (Lefever et al. 2007). Survey research is a common strategy used in business studies as this method is easy to know by the participants. Survey research design generally emphasizes people, their beliefs, attitudes, views, behavior, and motivations (Bedford and Speklé 2018). To determine the relationship between the study variables, various statistical tools and techniques are applied to the collected data such as correlation and regression analysis.

The target population of this study was secondary school (class 6–10) teachers of different public schools in three districts of AJ&K in Pakistan. Total population of present study is approximately 9841 teachers appointed in government schools in specified districts, including 585 teachers in Sudhnoti district, 1612 teachers in Kotli district, and 1560 teachers in Bagh district.

The questionnaire is used to get data from public school teachers and it comprises of two sections. The first section shows the respondents’ demographics, i.e. age, gender and qualification. The second section comprises of the different questions relevant to variables of the study, such as personality, self-efficacy, school climate, and burnout.

The Proposed Research Model

The scale of personality consists of 26-items which measures the extent to which teacher’s burnout is predicted by their personality traits (Ehrhart et al. 2008). There are 5 items to measure extraversion e.g. “I feel comfortable around people”, 6 items to measure agreeableness e.g. “I am interested in people”, 4 items to measure conscientiousness, e.g. “I am always prepared”, 6 items to measure emotional stability e.g. “I get stressed out easily” and 5 items to measure openness, e.g. “I have a rich vocabulary”. Respondents were asked to rate each statement on a 5-point Likert scale with 1 strongly disagree and 5 strongly agree.

The scale of Burnout consists of 8-items, e.g. “I feel frustrated with my work”, which measures teacher’s burnout (Ragu-Nathan et al. 2008; Tarafdar et al. 2007).

Self-efficacy is measured by 6 items, e.g. “I can always manage to solve difficult problems if I try hard enough” (Schwarzer and Jerusalem 1995; McDonald et al. 2018).

An adapted and revised questionnaire will be used to measure the teachers’ perceptions of school climate (Johnson et al. 2007). It includes 9 items, e.g. “The supply of equipment and resources is not adequate” in the school.

The data was verified and checked for its consistency and accuracy before analysis. The present data of the study was coded and then entered into SPSS 21 and SMART PLS. The analysis of data is carried out through descriptive statistics, reliability and validity, correlation, regression, mediation, and moderation analysis.

Data were collected from teachers of 35 public high schools functioning in AJ&K. The total population of present study is 9841 government teachers appointed in 757 public high schools. The sample of present study is approximately 3757 teachers appointed in government schools of Aj&k in specified districts, including 585 teachers in Sudhnoti district, and 1612 teachers in Kotli district and 1560 teachers in Bagh district. Overall, 450 questionnaires were obtained, but 75 questionnaires were omitted due to incomplete and inadequate responses. The remaining 375 questionnaires were selected for final data analysis.

Out of 375 respondents, 60.5% were male and 39.5% were female. Among the respondents, bachelors qualified were 48.5%, and 51.5% were Masters qualified. Among the respondents who participated in this survey, 2.1% belong to age group 1 (25–30), 38.4% comes in age group 2 (31–35), 36.0% respondents were under age group 3 (36–40), and 23.5% respondents are in the above 40 age group.

Analysis and Results

To study the characteristics and properties of measurement scale, reliability analysis was performed. It is a process to analyze the consistency of instrument being used in research. Cronbach’s alpha is used to measure reliability. Sekaran (2009) as well as Goh et al. (2016) determined the acceptable reliability scale. Personality being (PER) was measured by 21 items having 0.986 Cronbach’s Alpha which is greater than acceptable value 0.70. Self-Efficacy was measured by 6 items and Cronbach’s Alpha value of self-efficacy is .964 which is greater than 0.70. Cronbach’s Alpha value of 6 items of School Climate is .964 which is also in the acceptable range. The 8 items of Burnout are highly consistent like self-efficacy as Cronbach’s Alpha value of Burnout is .972. Alpha value of all the variables indicated their reliability and internal consistency.

Descriptive statistics is primarily used to test the normality of data. According to the descriptive scale, the mean of personality is 3.33, self-efficacy is 3.42, school climate is 3.64 and burnout is 2.77. In normality analysis, Skewness and kurtosis statistics were used to identify normal distribution of data. It is a statistical process used to analyze whether the data fits into the standardized normal distribution curve or not. In SPSS, normality test was used to know whether data was normally distributed or not. After performing normality test it was found that skewness and kurtosis outcomes lie in the acceptable range (i.e., Skewness: −1 to +1 and Kurtosis −3 to+3).

Correlation Analysis

Correlation analysis was used to measure the relationship among the variables. The range of correlation is from −1 to +1. Correlation “1” shows perfect correlation and “0” shows no correlation. The sign of correlation shows the direction of relationship among the variables. Positive sign depicts direct correlation, while negative sign shows opposite or indirect relationship among the variables. The correlation coefficient between personality traits and Self-efficacy is .613 which indicates substantial correlation. The correlation coefficient between Self-Efficacy and Burnout is −.806 indicating a strong negative correlation. The correlation coefficient between Personality traits and Burnout is −.782 indicating a strong negative correlation. The correlation coefficient between school climate and burnout is - 0.48 indicating a moderate correlation between them. According to the results, the values of all variables were significant as their p values were less than 0.01.

Regression Analysis

The regression analysis technique was applied to find out the degree of the impact of one variable on another variable through cause and effect relationship. Results of present analysis have shown that the p value of hypothesis 1 is <.05 and the t value of this relationship is greater than 1.96.

The relationship between personality and burnout is statistically significant. As can be seen from Table 1, “-0.110” is the Beta value of this relationship, which shows that by changing 1 unit in PER there would be 11.0% change in BN (burnout).

Table 1 Relationship between personality, self-efficacy and burnout
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In addition, as shown in results in Table 1, p value hypothesis 2 is also <.05 and the t value of this relationship is also greater than 1.96. So the relationship between personality and self-efficacy is significant and “.925” is the Beta value of this relationship, which shows that by changing 1 unit in PER there would be 92.5% change in SEF (self-efficacy). The p value of this hypothesis is <.05 and the t value of this relationship is greater than 1.96, which shows a significant relationship between self-efficacy and burnout and “-.676” is the Beta value of this relationship, which shows that by changing 1 unit in SEF there would be 67.6% change in BN.

Mediation Analysis

In hypothesis 4, self-efficacy mediates the link between Personality and Burnout. In this relationship PER is independent variable, BN is dependent variable and SEF is a mediating variable.

Indirect effects show that the relationship between PER and BN is mediated by SEF which is significant at 95% level of significance. Indirect effect of personality and burnout by self-efficacy was significant at 95% level of significance and the value of indirect effect = −0.625. This shows that 1 unit change in personality traits brings 62.5% change in burnout through self-efficacy. This shows that there is a partial mediation of self-efficacy in the relationship between personality and burnout (Table 2).

Table 2 Results for Mediation Analysis
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Moderation Analysis

To assess the moderating role of school climate the mean centered averages of the predictor/independent variable were multiplied with the mean centered averages of the moderator and new interactions were created (Henseler and Fassott 2010). Subsequently, the effect of these interactions was also incorporated to the model to assess the effect of these moderating interactions in the relationship between the mediating variable “self-efficacy” and the dependent variable “burnout.” The moderating effect has been examined using product indicator approach. As presented in Table 3 that the value of coefficient is 0.040 but insignificant for the moderating effect. So, hypothesis “H5” is not accepted.

Table 3 Results of moderation analysis
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Discussion and Results

The present research model was designed to examine the direct impact of personality of teachers on burnout. The aim was also to study how personality effects burnout in the presence of self-efficacy as a mediator. Apart from this, the study was inclined to determine the moderating role school climate plays in the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout. To attain these aims, we tested a structural model with cross-sectional data that was collected from government school teachers (class 6 to 10) working in three districts (Kotli, Sudhnoti, Bagh) of AJ&K.

The relationship between personality and burnout was found to be significant (β = −.110, t = 2.07, p < 0.05). Hence, hypothesis-H1 proved to be supported. The results also revealed that personality traits are reversely correlated with teacher burnout. Personality is a strong predictor of burnout. Results have shown that personality affects the tendency of teachers to experience burnout. Our results concerning the relation between burnout syndrome and teacher personality are consistent with other studies having link between personality and burnout dimensions. On the basis of these results, we can say that personality plays an important role in reducing burnout. Likewise, Swider and Zimmerman (2010) exposed the significance of individual differences in predicting job burnout. According to Kokkinos (2007), personalities are common predictors of all dimensions of burnout so teachers’ individual characteristics should be taken into consideration while studying the burnout phenomenon.

All five dimensions of personality in this study are positive traits. Agreeableness individuals have more positive traits like affection, trust and kindness. They are less likely to suffer burnout as they have a positive approach towards their jobs (Zimmerman 2008). People high in openness to experience are open to new insights and innovative ideas, which helps them prevent to burnout conditions (Ghorpade et al. 2011). People having more conscientiousness trait are found to resist burnout sufferings (Yoleri 2018). Earlier researchers also found a negative association between extroversion and burnout (Dubbeld et al. 2019). So on the basis of these evidence and current study findings it can be claimed that individuals having positive personalities have less chances of facing burnout.

Personality traits and self-efficacy function on different levels. Personality traits may be viewed as inherent characteristics of a person (Costa et al. 2019), whereas self-efficacy is about regulation of behavior during interactions (Yost et al. 2019).

Inherent personality traits may be expressed as behavior by applying self-efficacy beliefs signifying a mediating function for self-efficacy. Predictive powers of the Big Five traits and self-efficacy are well-documented in previous literature (Barrick et al. 2005). Subsequently teachers’ strong personalities will result in higher levels of self-efficacy. Earlier studies highlighted a link between the Big Five traits and self-efficacy (Judge et al. 2007). The association between personality traits and self-efficacy was found to be significant (β = 0.925, t = 82.45, p < 0.05) in the present study. Thus, hypothesis-H2 was accepted.

The relationship between self-efficacy and burnout has already been known in earlier literature (Brown et al. 2011; Aloe et al. 2014). Evers et al. (2002) discussed that teachers having weak self-efficacy beliefs face more stress and burnout than those with strong self-efficacy beliefs. Researches on teacher burnout show that teachers with higher self-efficacy were stronger in handling burnout. Cetin and Dede (2018) likewise found that teachers who scored low in self-efficacy experience a higher degree of burnout than their colleagues who are high in self-efficacy. The link between self-efficacy and burnout is also found to be significant (β = −0.676, t = 8.209, p < 0.05) in the present study. In line with prior researches teacher’s self-efficacy was significantly and negatively associated with teacher burnout (Lauermann and König 2016; Skaalvik and Skaalvik 2007).

This study also examined the role of self-efficacy between personality and burnout. It is evidenced in previous researches that self-efficacy acts as a mediator between personality and burnout (Yao et al. 2018). Our results have shown that individuals having positive personality have high levels of self-efficacy and are less likely to be affected by exhaustion (burnout). Individuals with negative/weak personality have lower levels of self-efficacy and are more likely to experience burnout. In the present study, mediation link (β = −0.625, t = 6.613, p < 0.05) is also found to be significant. So hypothesis-H4 was accepted.

The present study hypothesized and predicted that school climate would moderate the link between self-efficacy and burnout. When school climate is not supportive for teachers, then they would have more chances to suffer from emotional exhaustion and burnout conditions. Lim and Eo (2014) found that healthy school climate was negatively associated with a teacher’s burnout. The results of the moderation analysis (β = −0.040, t = 1.395, p > 0.05) did not support the hypothesized interaction. Factors related to teacher’s relations with other members like students, parents, and the administration and unfavorable school climate was not found to have a noticeable or significant link with burnout conditions (Bellingrath et al. 2009). Contrary to our original hypothesis, school climate did not directly predict burnout in AJ&K. A potential interpretation of this result is that teacher burnout is primarily an individual-level phenomenon that is not directly related to organization-level factors such as school climate (Malinen and Savolainen 2016). Hence, hypothesis-H5 was not accepted. Our findings are contradictory to earlier researches which predicted that better school climate would reduce burnout in the presence of high self-efficacy levels.

Future Direction

In the present study, the targeted sample was from the specific population of 35 government schools operating in three districts. Future researches can chose larger sample size to inspect such a model in private schools. In the future, comparison between public and private schools is suggested. Apart from this, convenient sampling would also hinder the generalizability of the findings. Larger sample size is helpful in ensuring generalizability. Researchers can also collect data from various service organizations, which will improve the generalizability of the results. It will also broaden the scope of studying burnout.

Moreover, the current research was cross sectional, which narrows down its scope. To overcome this limitation, a longitudinal or experimental study could be used to collect data, so that detailed and extensive causal relationships among the study variables can be achieved. Time period, in which the research conducted is also very important as the teaching burden of teachers differs with time. Burnout levels among teachers may vary at different time periods within each year. In future researches, this problem should be addressed through longitudinal studies. It would help to understand the temporal changes in burnout due to differences in personalities of teachers. In future, scholars may examine varying degrees of burnout experience due to different personalities over the passage of time.

In this study, self-reported data was involved, which may limit of the study design. However, no one can report on his/her abilities, inner characteristics, and burnout condition better than members themselves. However, there is the possibility of common method variance in the present research. Common method variance is actually occurrence of a systematic error due to measurement method (Conway and Lance 2010). Certainly, when all the variables of model are based from a single source like in this study where only self-reported questionnaires are used it may introduce some biases. Hence, we recommend for upcoming researchers to replicate our model by using a mix of self-reported and objective data.

Conclusion

This research was directed to assess the relationship between personality and burnout through self-efficacy and using school climate as moderator between self-efficacy and burnout in government high schools. The unit of analysis of this study were the teachers from 35 public high schools.

This study added to the previous organization theory literature of burnout by observing the mechanisms involved in the association between personality and burnout. The distinctive and mediating role of self-efficacy was tested and found significant. Additionally, school climate was tested as a moderator in the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout. Likewise, the hypothesized research model confirms that personality traits have a significant negative link with burnout using self-efficacy as a mediator. The study findings also suggest that self-efficacy plays a mediating role between personality and burnout. More importantly, the association of school climate as moderator between self-efficacy and burnout was not found to be significant. In future this phenomena needs to be tested in other sectors and industries.

So on the basis of these findings we suggest that strong personnel development programs should be planned to improve teachers’ personal skills to make them more resistant to burnout. Commonly, while recognizing each teacher’s personality, appropriate training and development programs should be implemented to minimize burnout situations. The overall results of the study specify a need for support and personnel development programs to ensure teachers have good mental health.