Workload Management and Teacher Burnout in Secondary Schools in Lagos State

This study investigates the relationship between workload management and teacher burnout in public secondary schools in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Teacher burnout, characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment, is increasingly recognised as a threat to instructional quality and teacher retention in Nigerian schools. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, engaging 300 secondary school teachers from schools in Lagos Island, Alimosho, and Ikorodu local government areas. Data were collected using a Teacher Workload Assessment Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, both adapted and validated for the Nigerian context. Structural equation modelling was applied to examine the mediated relationship between workload indicators and burnout dimensions. The study draws on the Job Demands-Resources Model and Leiter and Maslach's Burnout Theory. It assesses teaching hours, extracurricular duties, administrative tasks, class size, and role clarity as workload dimensions predicting emotional exhaustion and professional disengagement. Findings are anticipated to reveal that excessive administrative duties and large class sizes are the strongest workload predictors of burnout among Lagos secondary school teachers. Gender and years of experience as moderating variables are also examined. Recommendations are directed at the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission and school principals on restructuring workload allocation, deploying non-teaching administrative support staff, and implementing staff wellness programmes. The study enriches the evidence base on teacher occupational health management in South West Nigeria. Keywords: workload management, teacher burnout, secondary schools, Lagos State, occupational health