The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teachers’
perceptions of their principals’ support toward inclusion and the level of burnout
for two groups of teachers: special education and general education teachers in
elementary school. Participants included 108 special education teachers and 108
general education teachers in inclusive classrooms. The conclusions of this study
are as follow:
First, both special education teachers and general education teachers in inclusive
classrooms perceived that they received an ordinary/average level of support from
their principals, and there was no statistically significant difference in this regard.
Second, there was also no statistically significant difference between the two
groups in terms of overall burnout levels. However, on average, general education
teachers experienced slightly higher levels of burnout compared to special
education teachers. Third, a positive attitude from the principals toward inclusive
education (i.e. informational support, support for students with disabilities, support
for teachers) was statistically significant in decreasing teachers’ burnout levels.
This indicates that, relative to special education teachers, general education
teachers are more likely to be influenced by principals' levels of support.