Years of Work Experience, an Important Predictor of Burnout in Special Education.

Proffessional burnout is a syndrom associated with a group symptoms  such as emotional exhaustion,  depersonalization and personal acomplishements.  The main definition of emotional exhaustion as the main symptom of burnout according to Maslach is the reduced energy level or extreme fatigue. Maslach states that teacher working in special education services perceive low levels of job satisfaction and negative evaluation of job outcomes. Most teachers of special education experience high levels of depression, psychological dysfunction and role conflict.  The aim of this study is to investigate wheather years of work experience, seen as a demographic variable are an important predictor for experiencing emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as the main symptopms of professional burnout. This data were collected in special education schools of Tirana, Shkoder, Durres, Vlora, Korca and Elbasan. A total number of 115 subjects participated in this study. There were found significant correlations among years of experience, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Years of experience may be considered as an mediator variable among these three variables. It is an important predictor for emotional, exhaustion and depersonalization.