Organizational Behaviour Studies Quarterly

Organizational Behaviour Studies Quarterly

Digital Burnout; The Lived Experience of Higher Education Professors in Online Education

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Fatemeh Taheri 1
Akram Afsay 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, Farabi College of Management and Accounting, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Accounting Department, Farabi College of Management and Accounting, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/obs.2026.2076253.3630
Abstract
Digital burnout, as one of the emerging challenges in the era of digital technologies and e-learning, has had profound effects on the quality of teaching and mental health of university professors. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate the lived experience of higher education professors of the phenomenon of digital burnout in online education. The research method was qualitative with the descriptive phenomenological strategy of Giorgi & Giorgi. Purposeful sampling method with theoretical saturation logic and 16 participants were interviewed in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the data obtained were analyzed using coding and content analysis method. To achieve research trustworthiness, two methods of resonancy and reflectivity were used. The findings of the study, in accordance with phenomenology, showed that professors involved in digital burnout face challenges such as perception of inadequacy in digital environments, feelings of lack of access to digital tools in the distance learning process, and being overly influenced by digital media. This study also emphasizes the need to develop supportive policies and train professors in digital management skills. Paying attention to these issues can significantly help improve the quality of digital education and reduce the stress associated with it in the academic community.
Keywords
Digital burnout
digital management skills
higher education
distance learning.
Subjects
منابع
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