Examining the Mediating Role of Zoom Fatigue in Personality Traits and Professional Burnout

Abstract

Background The rapid transition to online education during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has introduced novel stressors for educators, including video-conferencing fatigue. Understanding how individual differences in personality traits influence susceptibility to these technological stressors and subsequent burnout outcomes remains underexplored. Methods This cross-sectional study employed structural equation modeling to examine the mediating role of Zoom fatigue in the relationship between neurotic personality traits and professional burnout among 884 teachers across Turkey. The participants completed validated measures, including the Zoom Fatigue Inventory, the Big Five Personality Inventory (short form), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educator Form. Data were collected between January and March 2022 through stratified random sampling across seven geographical regions. Results Structural equation modeling revealed significant positive relationships between neurotic personality traits and Zoom fatigue (β = 0.40, p < 0.01) and between Zoom fatigue and teacher burnout (β = 0.46, p < 0.01). Crucially, Zoom fatigue significantly mediated the relationship between neurotic personality traits and occupational burnout (indirect effect β = 0.18). The model demonstrated excellent fit indices (χ²/df = 2.89, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.89) and substantial effect sizes for both personality traits (f² = 0.38) and Zoom fatigue (f² = 0.27) on burnout outcomes. Conclusions Teachers with greater neuroticism experience greater professional burnout, partially through their increased susceptibility to video-conferencing fatigue. These findings suggest that technological demands in online education environments may disproportionately affect individuals with specific personality vulnerabilities. Targeted interventions addressing video conferencing fatigue could mitigate burnout pathways for at-risk educators.