Publication Date
2013-01-14
Availability
Open access
Embargo Period
2013-01-14
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PHD)
Department
Psychology (Arts and Sciences)
Date of Defense
2012-10-17
First Committee Member
Michael Alessandri
Second Committee Member
Maria M. Llabre
Third Committee Member
Saneya Tawfik
Fourth Committee Member
Heather Henderson
Fifth Committee Member
Jason Jent
Abstract
The recent economic downturn and political climate within the federal government has threatened special education resources for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The literature suggests that one consequence may be teacher burnout; a syndrome shown to have detrimental effects on the educational outcomes of students. The aims of this study were to investigate burnout in three groups (i.e., TEACCH, LEAP, and HQSEP) of high fidelity preschool teachers, its associations with teacher commitment to philosophy, and the potential effects on the social and communicative functioning in preschoolers with ASD. A sample of 75 teachers and 198 students were investigated within a multilevel structural equation framework. Results did not support a direct relationship between teachers’ commitment at the beginning of the year and student outcomes at the end, nor was there a relationship between burnout at mid-year and outcomes. None of the mediational relationships hypothesized were supported either. Results did, however, suggest associations between teachers’ level of experience and burnout as well as teachers’ levels of burnout at the beginning of the school year and their levels of commitment at the end of the year. Additionally, results revealed several interesting findings regarding teacher and student demographic variables, including their associations with language and social functioning outcomes at the end of the year. Implications for special education, school districts, and model developers are discussed.
Keywords
autism spectrum disorders; teacher commitment; teacher burnout; preschool outcomes; multilevel structural equation modeling
Recommended Citation
Coman, Drew C. and Coman, Drew Carson, "The Role of Teacher Commitment and Burnout in Predicting Outcomes of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Multilevel Structural Equation Approach" (2013). Open Access Dissertations. 924.
https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/924