Teachers' Perceptions of Burnout and Quiet Quitting: A Qualitative Study in the Context of Learning Motivation

Background/purpose. Heavy workloads and the emotional demands of teaching can lead to burnout and, as has been discussed more recently, to quiet quitting. This study examined how teachers perceive burnout and quiet quitting and how they relate these experiences to their motivation to learn.

Materials/methods. A basic qualitative design was used. The participants were 31 teachers working in Bartın and Zonguldak, Türkiye, selected through maximum variation sampling. Data were collected with a semi-structured interview form and analyzed through content analysis.

Results. Teachers described lifelong learning in terms of adapting to change, development, responsibility, and discovery. They saw quiet quitting not as leaving the profession but as doing only required duties, avoiding extra work, reluctance, and withdrawal. Its triggers were grouped as system-, management-, student-, parent-, and individual-related, with lack of appreciation, exclusion from decision-making, and administrative pressure standing out. Some teachers said burnout and quiet quitting dulled their curiosity to learn, while others said burnout made them notice their own development needs. Most believed that learning something new raises motivation and self-confidence, though some doubted it could resolve burnout on its own.

Conclusion. Teachers' learning motivation should be supported not only through individual effort but also through administrative support, a fair distribution of work, and a positive school climate.

Keywords: Burnout, quiet quitting, learning motivation, lifelong learning, teachers

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