Teacher Burnout in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET): A Thematic Synthesis of Empirical Evidence in China

Abstract

Against the backdrop of global digitalization, rapid technological advancement, and intensifying labor market demands, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has become a cornerstone for nurturing skilled technical talents and driving socio-economic development. However, the escalating professional pressures on TVET teachers—stemming from dual pedagogical-technical roles, frequent curriculum reforms, and institutional accountability—have led to the widespread prevalence of occupational burnout, which severely erodes teaching quality, impairs teacher well-being, and hinders the sustainable development of TVET systems worldwide, especially in China. This study adopts a rigorous qualitative document analysis approach to systematically review and synthesize 28 empirical research studies (23 Chinese and 5 international) on TVET teacher burnout published between 2003 and 2024. It aims to clarify the core manifestations, multi-dimensional influencing factors, and formation mechanisms of TVET teacher burnout in the Chinese context, and further propose targeted, multi-level intervention strategies. The thematic synthesis identifies five interrelated key influencing domains of TVET teacher burnout: demographic variables, job characteristics, institutional work environment, social-professional support, and individual psychological resources. Among these, personal psychological factors (e.g., emotional regulation, resilience) and social-professional support (e.g., collegial collaboration, leadership backing) exhibit consistent and significant correlations with burnout levels, acting as core protective factors. Job characteristics (e.g., heavy workload, role ambiguity) emerge as the primary stressors triggering emotional exhaustion, the core dimension of burnout.