Influence of Teachers’ Emotional Exhaustion on Learners’ Academic Performance in Public Junior Schools in Baringo Central Sub-County, Kenya

The purpose of the study was to examine influence of teachers’ emotional exhaustion on learners’ academic performance in public junior schools in Baringo Central Sub-County, Kenya. The study’s research question was: To what extent do teachers’ emotional exhaustion influence learners’ academic performance in public junior schools in Baringo Central sub-county? The study is grounded on Maslach’s Burnout Theory. A mixed methods research approach guided by a convergent design was employed. The quantitative component adopted a cross-sectional survey design, while the qualitative component was guided by a phenomenology design to capture participants’ lived experiences. The target population comprised of 78 public junior schools, including: 78 heads of institutions, 274 junior school teachers, 3 quality assurance and standards officers, and one sub-county director of education. Sampling techniques used included stratified sampling for schools, stratified and simple random sampling for teachers, and criterion purposive sampling for heads of institutions, QASOs, and SCDE. This resulted to a sample of 8 schools, 8 heads of institutions, 74 junior school teachers, 3 QASOs, and 1 SCDE. Data collection instruments used were questionnaires for teachers, interview guides for heads of institutions, QASOs, and the SCDE, a document analysis guide, and an observation guide. Teacher burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES). Findings were presented using tables. Instrument validity was ensured through face, content, criterion, and construct validity, while reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha (≥0.81). Qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo, guided by credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability, with ethical considerations observed. The study found that teachers’ emotional exhaustion significantly influenced learners’ academic performance in public junior schools in Baringo Central Sub-County, with highly exhausted teachers demonstrating reduced instructional effectiveness, limited learner support, and decreased classroom engagement. The study concluded that addressing teacher emotional exhaustion is essential for improving learning outcomes. It recommended strengthening teacher welfare programmes, providing psychosocial support, promoting manageable workloads, and enhancing school-based interventions aimed at improving teachers’ emotional well-being and instructional effectiveness.