Burnout is characterized by three symptoms (Maslach, 1986): (1) Emotional Exhaustion (EE), which is defined as the feeling of being physically and emotionally overextended; (2) DP, which is defined as a distant attitude toward students; and (3) a loss of self-confidence and lack of personal accomplishment (RPA). Influential Western scholarship studied the severity of teacher burnout through self-report measures constructed around the above mentioned three dimensions such as Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-Educators-Survey, MBI-ES) (MBI; Maslach et al., 1996). Using the same assessment tool, some Chinese researchers conducted their survey to measure the presence and severity of teacher burnout (Cheng, 2005; Wu, 2010). Some researchers revised the MBI-ES to suit the Chinese context. For example, Guohong and Linan (2008) developed a measure to assess a physical educator’s stress level. In synthesizing Chinese studies, different tools used are considered. This review tries to balance this situation by selecting even number of research using MBI-ES standards and revised MBI-ES, and the self-composed inventories are included as well to conclude the general trend as a finding.

Table 1 shows the main results from 10 papers assessing the level of Chinese college teacher burnout.

The results of these studies demonstrate that Chinese college English teachers have a moderate and mild state of job burnout, whereas some research shows high burnout level (Tang, 2011). A few studies expand the definition theory of burnout beyond the three dimensions defined above. Gu (2016) tried in terms of theoretical perspective. He elaborates ecological dynamic system theory in teacher emotion research and demonstrates the explanatory power of this theory with his empirical study. He conceptualizes Chinese university EFL teachers’ emotion framework and offers a case-based theoretical framework to understand teacher emotions in the Chinese context. Liu (2019) integrates the identity theories from the sociocultural and psychological perspective to make a comprehensive analysis of the university EFL teachers’ professional identity development. By constructing a theoretical model of teacher’s professional identity development, he enriches the theoretical perspectives on college teacher burnout.

A study conducted by Xu (2010) in six universities indicates that of the 240 participants, 181 (75.4%) had scores indicative of job burnout. Of the participants who indicated burnout, 109 (45.4%) scored a low level of burnout, 59 (24.6%) were at a moderate burnout level, and 13 (5.4%) reported a high burnout level. Furthermore, 60 (25.0%) participants had a high score for EE, 81 (33.8%) had a high score for DP, and 125 (52.1%) had a high score for RPA. Hu (2016) demonstrated that there is a certain degree of job burnout among college English teachers in Fujian ordinary universities. Among the three dimensions, 57% of college English teachers had serious EE, but DP and RPA were non-severe.

There is no consensus on the causal factors related to educator burnout in China. Most of the articles explore internal or external factors related to teacher burnout. Factors related to teacher burnout are categorized into micro- (individual factors), meso- (organizational factors), and macro- (social factors) dimensions.

Micro-dimensions analyze how teachers’ individual differences impact teacher burnout. Many studies have been conducted on the relationship between burnout and individual factors, such as age, gender, and marital status (Mousavy and Nnmehchisalem, 2014). The selected articles demonstrate that educational background, professional title, and years of teaching experience are associated with burnout rates. The degree of burnout does differ significantly by gender (Xie, 2013; Liang, 2016). Liang (2016) reached the conclusion that the teachers aged below 30 scored the highest in EE, and PA is associated with older teachers and those with higher education. Xie (2013) demonstrated that years in teaching was not significantly related to dimensions of EE and DP but noted significant differences in PA. English teachers with 1–10 and 11–20 years of teaching experience had similar PA, but both had significantly higher PA than those with more than 20 years teaching experience. Most studies do not consider educational background as having a significant effect on job burnout in college English teachers. However, few researchers stated that teachers with a master’s degree experienced the highest degree of job burnout along all three dimensions and had a higher overall level burnout (Liu L., 2014). No significant correlation was found between teachers’ professional title and college English teacher burnout (Xu, 2010; Xie, 2013; Liu L., 2014). Zhang (2014) revealed that teachers with a junior title report the most serious burnout compared to those with a senior title, who experience a comparatively lower level of burnout.

Self-efficacy is the term that worth being singled out that is closely related with occupational self-concept in teacher burnout. According to the social cognitive theory, teacher self-efficacy is considered to have close and intrinsic link with both occupational stress and teacher burnout. Liu P. (2014) states that there is a negative correlation between college English teachers’ self-efficacy and job burnout. The improvement of college English teachers’ self-efficacy is conducive to reducing occupational burnout (Zhou, 2016). Teacher self-efficacy, occupational stress and teacher burnout are significantly correlated with each other. Han (2013) indicates that young female college English teachers experience high level of self-efficacy and occupational stress, but low level of burnout and moderately high level of EE. Another research shows that male teachers are better equipped with self-efficacy than that of women, and the degree of job burnout of women is higher than that of men; the self-efficacy of college English teachers with professional titles is better than that of college English teachers without professional titles (Wu and Wang, 2018). Domestic research also shows that teachers’ self-efficacy is the cause of job burnout (Liu, 2004). In addition, if the teacher’s self-efficacy is too low, it is easy to leave teaching career due to occupation burnout (Hu and Jiang, 2006).

Seminal Western research considers the meso-dimension, such as organizational factors (Carroll and White, 1982). All teachers interact with students within an organization framework. In fact, many researchers accept that teachers’ individual characteristics as well as job-related stressors should be considered when studying burnout (Kokkinos, 2007). High levels of burnout in higher vocational teachers indicates that university type and level are important variables for the study of burnout (Tang et al., 2018). Possible reasons for Chinese teachers’ turnover rates include a high level of stress, student behavior, and heavy workload (Liu and Onwuegbuzie, 2012). Work overload and rapid economic growth results in the deterioration of teachers’ mental health in China (Yang et al., 2019). Some researchers confirm that over-loaded work stress may lead to college English teacher burnout and what it involved such as self-development and contradiction between examination and innovation affect some of dimensions of burnout (Tang, 2011; Wei, 2011). Wei (2011) pointed out that student’s behaviors, and the scarcity of teachers’ career development or self-development opportunities also influence teachers’ EE and further effect college English teacher burnout (Zhang, 2014). In terms of teacher professional development, Gong and He (2018) outline 10 environmental burnout elements, including overload, severity of students’ problems, lacking supervisors’ support, limited job autonomy, a stern hierarchical organizational system, and opaque operating rules.

Macro-dimensions of teacher burnout indicate that social expectations and pressure on college English teaching effect teacher burnout (Tang, 2011). Some studies have shown that teaching-research conflict was positively associated with EE and DP (Heng et al., 2020). Tang (2011) extends this research and states that teaching-research conflict and school regulations are positively associated with the level of teacher burnout. The low salary of college English teachers and associated low socioeconomic status may increase teachers’ psychological risks (Liu and Onwuegbuzie, 2012). Due to heavy workload and short working hours, low professional titles, low wages, and limited social resources, college English teachers face pressure to support their families. When faced with the “survival” and “development” contradiction, people must ensure their survival. Only by solving the problem of survival, can development be a possibility. When teachers in colleges and universities must make this choice, survival will occupy the space of development. College English teachers must focus on their livelihood. Their energy in teaching and scientific research will naturally decrease and their professional development will slow down. Therefore, college English teachers’ survival in society is difficult, as they face a multitude of challenges.

The selected studies mostly suggested countermeasures drawing on the perspectives of teachers themselves. From a teacher’s personal and professional development perspective, Hu (2016) found that improving self-efficacy, developing reflective teaching, and using peer-assisted learning are strategies to reduce teacher burnout. He argues that self-efficacy could function as a mediating variable that would reduce the negative effects of contextual variables and stressors. Many researchers proposed enhancing pressure resistance through internal and external resources (Liu P., 2014; Liang, 2016). These studies emphasized combining psychological capital, as an internal resource, with external resources to accomplish the harmonious unity of the two. Liang (2016) states that maintaining a positive attitude, redefining oneself, and career plan development alleviate pressure on teachers. Qualitative studies (Liu L., 2014) provide additional suggestions, including cultivating the sense of belonging, consolidating teachers’ identity, strengthening a sense of responsibility and enhancing teachers’ emotional labor management strategies.

Scholarship has also examined external strategies to address teacher burnout. Tang (2020) demonstrates that teachers’ professional identity, to certain degree, plays an intermediary role in teachers’ professional learning community and teachers’ job burnout, indicating that teachers’ professional learning community not only enables direct and forward prediction of teachers’ job burnout, but also imposes indirect influence on teachers’ job burnout via teachers’ professional identity. This intervention is in line with the research conclusions done by Lee et al. (2011) and Zonoubi et al. (2017). Which prove that professional learning community can improve teachers’ teaching efficacy and reduce burnout through professional practice and application together.

Wang (2007) suggests a scientific management system and humane mechanism to address the root cause of teacher burnout. Universities should reform teacher evaluation system to form a compound evaluation system which combines formative evaluation and final evaluation instead of the relying on the current professional title evaluation centered incentive feedback mechanism. Wang (2007) proposes that universities should implement an open democratic management style and provide teachers greater professional autonomy and freedom. This will assist teachers maintain their enthusiasm and reach their full potential. Excessively centralized control in teaching (Yang et al., 2019), limited job autonomy, a stern hierarchical organizational system, and opaque operating rules (Gong and He, 2018) are influencing factors for teacher burnout. Thus, switching to an academically oriented school administration may enhance resilience and wellbeing among teachers. Gong and He (2018) and Yang et al. (2019) indicate those suggestions are differ in the specific context of college English teachers in China than worldwide.