Keyword: «rural and urban teachers»

The relevance of the study is determined by the significance of the teacher burnout problem, which is becoming increasingly acute under conditions of growing workload intensity and communicative demands. Teachers under the age of 35 undergoing professional adaptation represent a particularly vulnerable group. At the same time, the influence of the educational environment on this relationship remains insufficiently studied. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of professional difficulties and their relationship with burnout components (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) among urban and rural teachers under the age of 35. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the three-component model of burnout developed by C. Maslach and S. Jackson, as well as the cognitive-perceptual approach proposed by B. Perlman and E. Hartman. The empirical study employed a professional difficulties assessment methodology and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The results showed that the level of professional difficulties in both groups was above average, while no statistically significant differences were found between urban and rural teachers regarding the integral indicators of professional difficulties and burnout components. Differences were identified only in specific aspects of professional activity related to planning self-development and making decisions in non-standard situations. Correlation analysis revealed stable associations between professional difficulties and both emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, with stronger relationships observed among rural teachers. The strongest correlations were found between difficulties in organizing interaction and communication and emotional exhaustion. Reduced personal accomplishment did not demonstrate significant associations with professional difficulties. Content analysis confirmed that the main sources of stress were difficulties in interactions with students and parents. The theoretical significance of the study lies in clarifying the role of professional difficulties as a factor contributing to emotional exhaustion among beginning teachers regardless of the type of educational environment. The practical significance is associated with substantiating the need for psychological support programs aimed at reducing organizational overload and developing effective coping strategies for dealing with communication-related difficulties.