Work

Teachers’ Dual Work Pressure, Emotional Labor, and Job Burnout in China Under the “Double Reduction” Policy

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: China's implementation of the “Double Reduction” (DR, Shuangjian ) policy has raised occupational demands for educators, intensified societal expectations and parental oversight, and thus exacerbated teachers’ family and interpersonal pressure. Based on survey data from 300 primary and secondary school teachers, this study explores the mechanism through which teachers’ dual work pressure is linked to job burnout via emotional labor. The results show that work pressure does not necessarily lead to job burnout, and different types of work pressure exert inconsistent impacts on burnout. Specific emotional labor strategies mediate the relationship between work pressure and burnout: the adoption of deep acting and natural expression strategies exerts a significant “protective” effect against teacher burnout, while surface acting strategies increase emotional exhaustion but also enhance personal accomplishment and reduce depersonalization. This article addresses three key issues: the differentiation of work pressure types and the dialectical consequences of such pressure, the independence of the three dimensions of teacher job burnout, and the diversified application of emotional labor strategies by teachers. The research also advocates for holistic reforms to alleviate teachers’ family and interpersonal pressure from both institutional and societal perspectives.

Source: Beijing international review of education

DOI: 10.1177/25902547261471734

Authors: Penghui Hu, Ruilin Gao, Shasha Du

Institutions: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Lingnan Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Emotional Labor in Professions

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Quality education

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Social Science Fund of China