The burnout buffer? Volunteering and resilience in pre-service teacher development

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35765/mjse.2026.1529.14
Keywords: volunteer teaching, teacher burnout, student educators, teaching identity, professional development, early career stress

Abstract

Research objectives (aims) and problem(s): The study investigates whether volunteering in educational settings can reduce burnout among student educators and shape their professional identity. Using a case study of language education students, the research explores how volunteering affects resilience, motivation, and perceptions of teaching.

Research methods: The study employs a mixed-methods approach using psychometric survey data and qualitative interviews. Quantitative instruments measured burnout and life satisfaction, while interviews focused on students’ motivation, emotional demands, and institutional support.

Process of argumentation: This study draws on the author’s experience as founder of the Study Buddy volunteering programme. Although volunteer teaching is widely recognized as a valued developmental experience, its psychological costs and benefits remain underexplored, mainly in pre-service teacher contexts. This study fills that gap by questioning how structured volunteer programmes can either buffer or exacerbate early career burnout.

Research findings and their impact on the development of educational sciences: Volunteer teaching enhanced professional confidence and emotional engagement, creating potential for burnout prevention. Participants also reported emotional fatigue and stress related to a lack of institutional support. Strong intrinsic motivation emerged as a protective factor, while institutional gaps intensified strain.

Conclusions and/or recommendations: Volunteer teaching should be recognized as a formative phase of teacher growth. Institutions must offer structured mentoring, reflective supervision, and formal recognition to ensure that such experiences build long-term resilience and reduce the potential for burnout.

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Published
2026-06-30
How to Cite
Pawliszko, J. (2026). The burnout buffer? Volunteering and resilience in pre-service teacher development. Multidisciplinary Journal of School Education, 15(1 (29), 241-259. https://doi.org/10.35765/mjse.2026.1529.14
Issue
Vol. 15 No. 1 (29) (2026): Stress and Success Among Teachers
Section
Thematic Articles

Copyright (c) 2026 Judyta Pawliszko

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