Factorial validity study of the Maslach Burnout Inventory in Mozambican teachers

Abstract

The aim of this article was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) in a sample of Mozambican teachers. The factor validity and precisions of the factors obtained were investigated. A total of 225 teachers participated in the study, aged between 20 and 53 years (M=35.4; SD=7.5), 64.7% of whom were male; most have a high school education (79.8%); those who teach from 6th to 7th grades (61.2%); in terms of marital status, singles correspond to 43.5%. Participants answered a version of the MBI in Portuguese, adapted for the Brazilian population, in which two items were included in relation to the original version. A factor analysis with factor extraction by principal component analysis and oblimin rotation resulted in three factors, capable of explaining 35.5% of the total variance. The factors were associated with emotional exhaustion (F1), accomplishment at work (F2) and depersonalization (F3), whose internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, was 0.758; 0.677 and 0.446, respectively. These factors are compatible with the original version of the MBI and can be considered factorial valid. However, the third factor had very low precision and could not be considered reliable. Analysis of the relationship between burnout and sociodemographic variables (age, gender, education level, experience, level of education taught and marital status) did not reveal any statistically significant results.[1] Future studies including larger samples are needed to establish precise relationships between burnout and the variables examined. The use of the instrument in research with the Mozambican population is suggested, but it is necessary to go through a review of the third factor, aiming at improving precision.

[1] The research was not funded. It was paid for by the author.