Empirical Investigation of the Relationship Between Teacher Burnout and Student Disruptive Behaviour in Public Secondary Schools in Rivers State

The relationship between teacher burnout and student disruptive behaviour in schools may operate bidirectionally, with burned-out teachers generating classroom conditions that increase student disruption, and this dynamic in Nigerian secondary schools requires empirical investigation. This study empirically examined the relationship between teacher burnout and student disruptive classroom behaviour in public secondary schools in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. A correlational survey design was employed, with 40 class teachers from eight schools completing the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and their class students (n=1,120) assessed for disruptive behaviour using the Student Disruptive Behaviour Scale teacher-report version. Multi-level modelling was applied to account for student-within-teacher nesting. Teacher emotional exhaustion was a significant positive predictor of classroom disruptive behaviour at Level 2 (beta = 0.44, p < 0.001). Depersonalisation was independently associated with higher rates of teacher-reported defiance and attention-seeking behaviour. Teachers with high personal accomplishment scores showed lower student disruption rates even when experiencing high emotional exhaustion. Class size moderated the exhaustion-disruption relationship, with the effect stronger in classes above 45 students. The study fills a methodological gap by using multi-level modelling and recommends integrated interventions addressing both teacher burnout and classroom management skill building, alongside advocacy for reduced class sizes in Rivers State public secondary schools. Keywords: teacher burnout, student disruptive behaviour, multi-level modelling, Rivers State, school counselling