Investigating the Relationship between Educational Justice and Quality of Academic Life with Academic Burnout in Medical Students at Basic Science Level at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Students' Research Committee, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of General Courses and English Language, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Professor, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

5 Professor, Department of General Courses and English Language, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

6 Associate Professor, Department of General Courses and English Language, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

10.22038/nnj.2026.92545.1526

Abstract

Background and Aims: In the field of medical sciences, few studies have examined educational and academic environment variables and effective educational factors. This research aimed to determine the relationship between educational justice and quality of academic life with academic burnout in medical students at the basic science level.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, in 1401-1402. Questionnaires on educational justice, academic burnout, and quality of academic life were sent online to 239 medical students studying in the basic sciences level. SPSS version 25 software was used to analyze the data, using independent t-test, Pearson correlation, and a regression model.
Results: The participants had a mean age of 19.76 ± 1.75 years; of them, 122 (51%) were female and 117 (49%) were male. Academic burnout levels were low in 5% of participants, moderate in 44%, and high in 51%. Female students experienced significantly higher levels of academic burnout compared to males (p = 0.007), and their academic quality of life was also significantly lower (p = 0.033). In the regression model, the educational justice score did not significantly predict academic burnout (p = 0.695); however, academic quality of life, Grade Point Average (GPA), and being female were significant predictors (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that over half of medical students in the basic sciences phase experience high academic burnout. Female students appear more vulnerable to reduced academic quality of life and increased burnout. Academic quality of life and GPA are significant predictors of burnout.

Keywords

References

[1] Salmela-Aro K, Kiuru N, Nurmi JE. The role of educational track in adolescents' school burnout: a longitudinal study. Br J Educ Psychol. 2008;78(Pt 4):663-89. DOI: 10.1348/000709908X281628
[2] Yang H-J, Farn CK. An investigation the factors affecting MIS student burnout in technical-vocational college. Computers in Human Behavior. 2005;21(6):917-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2004.03.001
[3] Shin H, Lee J, Kim B, Lee SM. Students’ perceptions of parental bonding styles and their academic burnout. Asia Pacific Education Review. 2012;13(3):509-17. DOI: 10.1007/s12564-012-9218-9
[4] Salmela-Aro K, Savolainen H, Holopainen L. Depressive symptoms and school burnout during adolescence: evidence from two cross-lagged longitudinal studies. J Youth Adolesc. 2009;38(10):1316-27. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-008-9334-3
[5] Zhang Y, Gan Y, Cham H. Perfectionism, academic burnout and engagement among Chinese college students: A structural equation modeling analysis. Personality and Individual Differences. 2007;43(6):1529-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2007.04.010
[6] Kilic R, Nasello JA, Melchior V, Triffaux JM. Academic burnout among medical students: respective importance of risk and protective factors. Public Health. 2021;198:187-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.07.025
[7] Lee M, Lee KJ, Lee SM, Cho S. From emotional exhaustion to cynicism in academic burnout among Korean high school students: Focusing on the mediation effects of hatred of academic work. Stress Health. 2020;36(376-83). DOI: 10.1002/smi.2936
[8] Thun-Hohenstein L, Höbinger-Ablasser C, Geyerhofer S, Lampert K, Schreuer M, Fritz C. Burnout in medical students. Neuropsychiatr. 2021;35(1):17-27. DOI: 10.1007/s40211-020-00359-5
[9] Schaufeli WB, Salanova M. Efficacy or inefficacy, that's the question: burnout and work engagement, and their relationships with efficacy beliefs. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2007;20(2):177-96. DOI: 10.1080/10615800701217878
[10] Sirgy M, Widgery R, Lee D-J, Yu G. Developing a Measure of Community Well-Being Based on Perceptions of Impact in Various Life Domains. Social Indicators Research. 2010;96:295-311. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-009-9479-9
[11] Eldridge C. Principals Leading for Educational Equity: Social Justice in Action [Dissertation]. The United States. University of Maryland. 2012.
[12] Ishak W, Nikravesh R, Lederer S, Perry R, Ogunyemi D, Bernstein C. Burnout in medical students: a systematic review. Clin Teach. 20. 242-50 (4) 10, 13. DOI: 10.1111/tct.12014
[13] Sirgy MJ, Lee D-J, Grzeskowiak S, Yu GB, Webb D, El-Hasan K, et al. Quality of College Life (QCL) of Students: Further Validation of a Measure of Well-being. Social Indicators Research. 2010;99(3):375-90. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-010-9587-6
[14] Aghajari Z, Loghmani L, Ilkhani M, Talebi A, Ashktorab T, Ahmadi M, et al. The relationship between quality of learning experiences and academic burnout among nursing students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Electronic Journal of General Medicine. 2018;15. DOI: 10.29333/ejgm/93470
[15]  Schuler R, Aldag R, Brief A. Role Conflict and Ambiguity: A Scale Analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance. 1977;20:111-28. DOI.org/10.1016/0030-5073(77)90047-2
[16] Önder İ, Önder AN, Güven Yıldırım E. Morningness and academic burnout among university students: the mediating role of procrastination. BMC Psychol. 2025;13(1):630. DOI.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02969-6
[17]  Tunc T, Kutanis RO. Role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout in nurses and physicians at a university hospital in Turkey. Nurs Health Sci. 2009;11(4):410-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2009.00475.x
[18] Papastylianou A, Kaila M, Polychronopoulos M. Teachers’ burnout, depression, role ambiguity and conflict. Social Psychology of Education. 2009;12(3):295-314. DOI: 10.1007/s11218-008-9086-7
[19] Dashtabadi M, Fallah M, Sederposhan N, Azizi Abarghuei M. Designing A Spiritual Care Training Course for Clergymen. Health Spiritual Med Ethics. 2023;10:195-202. DOI: 10.32598/hsmej.10.4.467.1
[20] . Azizi Abarghuei M, Falsafinejad M, Qavamabadi S, Dortaj F, Heydari M. A Causal Relationship between Student Instructional Stress factors and Social Support with Academic Burnout Considering Mediating Role of Perceived Stress among University Students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. 2017:234-345. [In Persian]
[21] Golparvar M. The Role of Educational Ethics in Relation between Educational Justice and Injustice with Educational Cheating: Structural Equation Modeling. Educational Psychology. 2015;11(37):51-67. [In Persian]
[22] Giess CS, Ip IK, Cochon LR, Gupte A, Dudley JC, Boland GW, et al. Predictors of Self-Reported Burnout Among Radiology Faculty at a Large Academic Medical Center. J Am Coll Radiol. 2020;17(12):1684-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2020.01.047
[23] Ahmadian N, Kamran A, Matin S, Sharghi A. Empathy, Burnout and Quality of Life among Medical Students of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. Journal of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. 2022;22:358-69. [In Persian]
[24] Marôco J, Assunção H, Harju-Luukkainen H, Lin SW, Sit PS, Cheung KC, et al. Predictors of academic efficacy and dropout intention in university students: Can engagement suppress burnout? PLoS One. 2020;15(10):e0239816. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239816
[25] Kim B, Lee M, Kim K, Choi H, Lee SM. Longitudinal Analysis of Academic Burnout in Korean Middle School Students. Stress Health. 2015;31(4):281-9. DOI: 10.1002/smi.2553
[26] Kaur M, Long JW, Luk FS, Mar J, Nguyen DL, Ouabo T, et al. Relationship of Burnout and Engagement to Pharmacy Students' Perception of Their Academic Ability. Am J Pharm Educ. 2020;8 .7571(2)4. DOI: 10.5688/ajpe7571
[27] Ghsemi SA, Miri M. The role of Academic Resilience and Academic Ethics in predicting Academic Success in Students. 2023;38:1-10. DOI: 10.22037/bioeth.v13i38.39536
[28] Lopes AR, Nihei OK. Burnout among nursing students: predictors and association with empathy and self-efficacy. Rev Bras Enferm. 2020;73(1):e20180280. DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2018-0280
[29] Noh H, Shin H, Lee SM. Developmental process of academic burnout among Korean middle school students. Learning and Individual Differences. 2013;28:82-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2013.09.014
[30] Marzooghi R, Heidari M, Heidari E. The impact of educational justice on students academic burnout in the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science Tehran Iran. Strides in Development of Medical Education. 2013;10(3):328-34. [In Persian]
[31] Hassanali V. Investigating the Academic Burnout and its Relationship with Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Academic Resilience Students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. Iranian Bimonthly of Education Strategies In Medical Sciences. 2018;11(1):133-8. DOI: 10.29252/edcbmj.11.01.17 [In Persian]
Navid No
Volume 28, Issue 96
March 2026
Pages 1-13

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics