Though researchers aren’t sure what comes first, they are sure that in classrooms with teachers experiencing emotional exhaustion, students are more likely to be stressed in what is described as a cyclical problem.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia used saliva samples to determine cortisol levels in hundreds of students to arrive at their findings, and they say that the study indicates "stress contagion might be taking place in the classroom among students and their teachers,” according to Phys.org.

Specifically, the study was published in Social Science & Medicine and was carried out in Grade 4 to 7 classrooms at 17 public schools in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, Phys.org said.

On the one hand, teacher burnout and student stress could be correlated because of lack of adequate support for teachers. Teachers with strained resources and large classroom sizes, for example, have a harder time leading the class and the difficulty in doing so could result in high student stress levels.

On the other, a classroom with students with learning challenges or mental health needs could mean an abnormally stressed group of students and therefore an especially burnt out teacher.

Either way, the researchers are using the research to draw attention to how stressful the teaching profession is and why educators require adequate support.

Related Resources:

From Chaos to Coherence: Managing Stress While Teaching

Saving Kids from Stress 

Prevent Stress in the Classroom: 5 Tips 

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