and therefore stop them from becoming burned out (e.g., Johnson, 1993).
The purpose of this paper is to review the conceptual and empirical literature on teacher burnout, creativity, and creativity as a moderator of teacher stress and burnout. The review begins with a description and discussion of the primary factors associated with teacher stress; this is followed by an examination of the nature of creativity, and an exploration of articles that have connected teacher stress to creativity. The review ends with a series of conclusions about teacher stress, creativity, the relationships between stress, burnout and creativity and about the status of the existing knowledge base in this area.
What are some of the job/job-related factors that cause teacher stress thereby increasing the likelihood of burnout? In this regard, several factors have been found to be contributive to teacher stress levels. According to Ayalon (1989) one set of factors leading to teacher stress and burnout are environment. In his study, Ayalon surveyed 45 first-year teachers regarding their stress and burnout levels. It was reported that several school environment factors were cited by teachers as leading to stress and burnout. Environmental factors said to be the strongest predictors of burnout were lack of positive recognition for teachers' efforts, inadequate time for planning and instruction, and large class sizes.
Ayalon's (1989) findings were also observed in a study of teacher burnout conducted by Borg, Riding and Falzon (1991) who found that job stress among teachers was significantly related to whether they felt their "professional recognition needs" had been met. Other important to contributors to teacher stress levels were said to be pupil misbehavior, problems with managing time and resources, and poor relationships with co-workers.
In another study, teacher burnout, Friesen (1986) surveyed samples of public school teachers (n = 1,...