Date of Graduation

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education Policy, Planning, and Administration

Committee Chairperson

Heather Schugar, PhD

Committee Member

Karen Dickinson, PhD

Committee Member

Natalie Ortega-Moran, EdD

Abstract

This mixed methods sequential explanatory study examined how secondary mathematics teachers’ mindsets relate to burnout tendencies, and how schools can support staff mindset to prevent burnout. Using a two-phase design, Phase 1 gathered survey data from 94 secondary math teachers, measuring mindset and burnout with descriptive statistics, correlations, chi-square tests, and regression analysis to quantify associations between mindset orientation and burnout risk. Phase 2 employed semi-structured interviews with a subsample of teachers and open and axial coding to explain and contextualize the quantitative patterns. Quantitative analyses revealed that teachers with more fixed mindset tendencies reported significantly higher burnout scores across multiple subscales, particularly emotional exhaustion and mental distance, and that teachers with higher growth mindset scores were associated with lower overall burnout risk. Qualitative findings identified systemic friction - student course acceleration pressures, parental and administrative overreach, erosion of professional authority, unrealistic instructional demands, and math-specific cultural narratives - as key contributors to fixed-mindset drift and burnout. Conversely, supportive leadership, clear boundaries, and intentional personal practices functioned as protective factors. Together, these results suggest that teacher mindset operates as a meaningful, but context-dependent, protective resource against burnout in secondary math classrooms, and that school-level policies and practices play a critical role in sustaining growth-oriented beliefs and retention.

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