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(Dis)Connected: ESL Instructors’ Experiences of Online Job Satisfaction and Burnout

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(Dis)Connected: ESL Instructors’ Experiences of Online Job Satisfaction and Burnout

Maness, Nina (2026) (Dis)Connected: ESL Instructors’ Experiences of Online Job Satisfaction and Burnout. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

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Abstract

While online education has been growing rapidly in Canada for over 20 years (Bates, 2018), it has been met with resistance from some instructors (Allen et al., 2016). The sudden shift to Emergency Remote Teaching during COVID-19 caused progressively more negative views on online teaching among Canadian K-12 instructors (Sokal et al., 2020). This study examines the experiences of post-secondary instructors using Maslach and Leiter’s (2016) three-fold definition of burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) and Bolliger and Wasilik’s (2009) three-factor approach to job satisfaction (i.e., student-related, institution-related, or instructor-related). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine if Canadian post-secondary ESL instructors were 1) experiencing decreased satisfaction 2) experiencing increased burnout and 3) to discover the relationship between online faculty satisfaction and burnout.
Forty-one participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Survey and the Online Faculty Satisfaction Survey. Of these participants, 19 participated in an online interview. The survey results show participants were neither strongly satisfied or dissatisfied and were not experiencing more burnout than the average educator. Significant correlations were found between all factors of burnout and satisfaction, with the strongest correlation between student-related factors and personal accomplishment. The interviews expanded on these results, revealing tension between instructor satisfaction with the convenience of online learning for both student and instructor, and dissatisfaction due to decreased student engagement. Burnout was similarly attributed to decreased student engagement; however, decreased student engagement was also a protective factor against burnout, along with convenience for the instructor and pedagogical adaptability.

Divisions:Concordia University > Faculty of Arts and Science > Education
Item Type:Thesis (Masters)
Authors:Maness, Nina
Institution:Concordia University
Degree Name:M.A.
Program:Applied Linguistics
Date:5 January 2026
Thesis Supervisor(s):Cardoso, Walcir
Keywords:Burnout, Online Faculty Satisfaction, ESL, remote learning
ID Code:996687
Deposited By: Nina Maness
Deposited On:29 Jun 2026 13:35
Last Modified:29 Jun 2026 13:35

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