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NCT Number: NCT07679386

Work-Related Health Factors in General and Special Education Teachers

This cross-sectional study aims to compare work-related health outcomes between general education teachers and special education teachers. The study will assess burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, pain characteristics, and general job satisfaction.

Participants will complete an online questionnaire including sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, such as age, sex, teaching experience, working hours, and type of teaching assignment. Standardized self-report measures will be used to evaluate burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, and pain-related characteristics.

The study will examine whether teachers working in special education differ from general education teachers in terms of burnout, stress, occupational balance, musculoskeletal problems, and pain. The findings may help identify occupational health needs among teachers and support the development of preventive strategies for improving their well-being and working conditions.

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Key information

Conditions

Occupational Health Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Burnout Burnout, Psychological Musculoskeletal Stress, Psychological

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

About this study

Teachers may be exposed to physical, psychosocial, and organizational demands during their professional activities. These demands may vary according to the characteristics of the educational setting, student population, classroom environment, workload, and responsibilities associated with teaching. Special education teachers may experience additional demands related to individualized instruction, behavioral management, physical assistance, communication needs, and greater emotional involvement with students.

This cross-sectional study will investigate differences in occupational health-related outcomes between general education teachers and special education teachers. The study will focus on burnout, occupational balance, perceived stress, musculoskeletal symptoms, pain characteristics, and job satisfaction. In addition, sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, including age, sex, teaching experience, weekly working hours, type of school, and teaching assignment, will be collected to describe the participants and explore factors potentially associated with the study outcomes.

Data will be collected through an online questionnaire. Participants will complete validated self-report instruments and study-specific questions regarding demographic characteristics, occupational conditions, pain, and musculoskeletal complaints. Teachers will be classified according to whether they work in general education or special education settings.

The findings are expected to contribute to a better understanding of occupational health needs among teachers working in different educational environments. Identifying differences between these groups may support the development of workplace-based preventive approaches aimed at reducing burnout, stress, musculoskeletal problems, and pain while promoting occupational balance and overall well-being.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Currently employed as a general education teacher or special education teacher.
  • Actively working in a school or educational institution at the time of data collection.
  • Able to read and understand Turkish.
  • Able and willing to provide informed consent and complete the online questionnaire.

Exclusion criteria

  • Not currently working as a teacher during the data collection period (e.g., on leave, retired, or not actively employed).
  • Working in an administrative position only, without active teaching responsibilities.
  • Incomplete questionnaire responses that prevent calculation of the main outcome measures.

Treatment and study plan

Observational Assessment

Other

Participants completed assessment forms and diaries. No intervention was administered.

Primary outcomes

  1. Emotional Exhaustion Assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1)

    Emotional exhaustion will be assessed using the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey. The subscale consists of 9 items rated on a 7-point frequency scale ranging from 0 ("Never") to 6 ("Every day"). Total scores range from 0 to 54. Higher scores indicate greater emotional exhaustion.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Occupational Balance Assessed by the Activity-Rol Balance Questionnaire-11 Turkish Version

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1)

    Occupational balance will be assessed using the Activity-Rol Balance Questionnaire-11 Turkish Version. The questionnaire consists of 11 items scored from 0 ("Strongly disagree") to 3 ("Strongly agree"). The total score ranges from 0 to 33. Higher scores indicate a higher level of occupational balance.

  2. Pain Intensity Assessed by the Numeric Rating Scale

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1)

    Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale. Participants will rate their current or recent pain intensity on an 11-point scale ranging from 0 ("No pain") to 10 ("Worst imaginable pain"). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.

  3. Musculoskeletal Symptoms Assessed by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1)

    Musculoskeletal symptoms will be assessed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluates the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms in nine body regions during the previous 12 months and the previous 7 days. Participants will also report whether musculoskeletal symptoms prevented them from performing normal daily activities. Outcomes will be reported as the presence or absence of symptoms for each body region and the number of affected body regions.

  4. Perceived Stress Assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1)

    Perceived stress will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. The total score will be calculated according to the scoring instructions of the scale. Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Demet Öztürk, Phd

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905068394288

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Lokman Hekim University

Other Gov

Registry information

Official study title

Comparison of Burnout, Occupational Balance, Stress, Musculoskeletal Symptoms, and Pain Characteristics Between General Education and Special Education Teachers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 1, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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