Blazing New Trails - Connexions

88 CRITICAL ISSUES IN SHARED LEADERSHIP
exhaustion (r (37) = .57, p < .001). This was also a large or larger than typical effect size. This
result demonstrated that a positive relationship seems to exist in the levels of
depersonalization and both emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment as perceived
by Montana special education directors.
Table 6. Inter-correlations, Means, and Standard Deviations for Emotional Exhaustion,
Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment (N = 39).
Variable 1 2 3 M SD
1. Emotional Exhaustion -- .50** .23 43.67 6.66
2. Depersonalization .50** -- .86** 56.18 10.54
3. Personal Accomplishment .23 .86** -- 21.08 13.23
**p < 0.001
DISCUSSION
Four primary findings emerged from the results of this study. First, although levels of
emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were high for almost all special education
directors sampled, two-thirds of those sampled also reported high levels of personal
accomplishment. Those directors experiencing low personal accomplishment, therefore
meeting the definitions of burnout (Maslach et. al., 1996), comprised only 12.8%. Secondly,
special education directors in Montana with more years of experience in education were likely
to have higher levels of personal accomplishment. Third, the dimension of depersonalization,
the detachment from others or objectification of students, was demonstrated to have a positive
relationship with the other two dimensions, emotional exhaustion and personal
accomplishment. In fact, the effect size of these relationships was larger than a typical effect
size. Finally, no other differences or relationships were found with any of the three
dimensions of burnout in considering a district versus cooperative working environment,
educational degree attainment, number of years in the position, or gender.
Almost all respondents (97%) held perceptions of emotional exhaustion, feelings of
frustration, tension, and dread. Articulating and implementing a common vision across the
organization is an essential element of leadership (Sergiovanni, 2007). Currently, special
education directors must articulate and implement a vision that focuses instruction for
children with disabilities on their individual needs—individual needs with a range that far
exceeds the scale of mainstream classroom differentiation—and must focus this instruction in
a climate of accountability governed by high stakes, standardized testing. To further add to
their frustration and tension, special education directors must bridge educational excellence
and equity for children with disabilities without the direct supervisory authority of the
teachers providing the instruction. As noted by Edmonson (2001), “When special education
administrators are not sure what is expected of them … burnout is often a consequence”
(p.16). This leads to a discussion of the next dimension: depersonalization.
Depersonalization occurs when individuals compartmentalize their work, separating
their feelings from their actions (Edmonson, 2001). When affect does occur, it is expressed
negatively. Without exception, all special education directors participating in this study had
high levels of depersonalization. Relationships with other administrators, teachers, and
parents are often a key and essential source of professional stimulation. Yet, when such
relationships are strained by competition for limited resources, ambiguity in the exercise of
instructional leadership, or a litigious climate, limiting self-involvement or severing
relationships occurs to prevent overwhelming negative stimulation (Wisniewski & Gargiulo,