A Causal Model of the Effect of Classroom’s Structure on Academic Burnout: The Mediating Role of Motivation

The purpose of this research was to examine the mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between classroom structure and academic burnout. Seven hundred and twenty students were selected from high schools of Tehran during the academic year of 2016-2017by random cluster multi-stages sampling method. The participants completed the School Burnout Inventory (Bresó, Salanova & Schaufeli, 2007), the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand & et‎ al, 1992) and the Classroom Structure Questionnaire (Elliot & Church, 2001). The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results indicated that a) the model had good fit to data, b) the harsh evaluation had a positive and direct effect on educational burnout, and c) attractiveness of task and focus on evaluation had indirect effects on academic burnout through academic motivation. The findings suggested that improvement in classroom structure as well as applying new mechanisms in motivational system may reduce academic burnout.