Designing a School-Based Model for Preventing Academic Burnout Based on Resilience, Cognitive Flexibility, and Perceived Social Support
Keywords:
Academic burnout, academic resilience, cognitive flexibility, perceived social support, schools, qualitative research, thematic analysisAbstract
This study aimed to design a school-based model for preventing academic burnout by exploring the lived experiences of students, teachers, and school professionals, with a focus on resilience, cognitive flexibility, and perceived social support. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants included 24 students, teachers, school counselors, and school administrators from secondary schools in Tehran, Iran. They were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Data were collected exclusively through semi-structured interviews, and recruitment continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. All interviews were conducted after obtaining informed consent, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, peer review, audit trail, constant comparison, and reflexive memo writing were applied throughout the analytic process. Data analysis resulted in five main categories: “early monitoring of academic burnout symptoms,” “strengthening academic resilience and emotional regulation,” “developing cognitive flexibility in response to failure and academic pressure,” “reconstructing perceived social support networks,” and “designing a preventive school system.” The findings indicated that academic burnout is not merely a consequence of heavy homework or examination pressure; rather, it emerges through the interaction of academic demands, rigid cognitive interpretations, perceived academic loneliness, weak supportive relationships, and the school’s limited capacity for early intervention. The final model conceptualized prevention as a multilevel, school-based, and resource-oriented process. Preventing academic burnout requires a shift from reactive and treatment-centered approaches toward a systematic, multilevel, and preventive school model. Resilience, cognitive flexibility, and perceived social support constitute three key protective resources that reduce students’ vulnerability to academic pressure. Schools can reduce the likelihood of academic burnout by implementing continuous monitoring, psychological skills training, teacher and family support enhancement, and a responsive school culture.
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