Designing and Evaluating a School-based Counseling Intervention for Academic Burnout Prevention

Thesis Abstract

This study addresses the rising incidence of academic burnout among secondary school students and its detrimental impact on learning engagement, mental health, and academic trajectories. The problem is situated within high-stakes examination cultures and sustained coursework demands, where insufficient psychosocial support within school settings exacerbates stress responses, reduces intrinsic motivation, and increases dropout risk. The aim is to design, implement, and evaluate a school-based counseling intervention tailored to prevent academic burnout by enhancing students’ coping resources, executive functioning, and perceived social support. Specific objectives are to (1) develop a theoretically grounded counseling program incorporating Cognitive Information Processing and Salutogenic well-being principles, (2) implement the intervention with a sample of students identified as at risk for burnout, (3) assess changes in burnout symptoms, perceived stress, learning engagement, and self-regulation, (4) evaluate acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity of implementation from student and counselor perspectives, and (5) determine whether improvements in coping strategies mediate reductions in burnout and enhancements in academic functioning. The study adopts a mixed-methods design, combining a quasi-experimental between-groups approach with an explanatory sequential data collection and analysis plan. The population comprises senior secondary students (ages 15–18) in four urban high schools within a metropolitan district. A total of 240 students will be screened for burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS); 120 students scoring in the moderate-to-high range will be randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 60) or waitlist control (n = 60) condition, with data collected at baseline, immediately post-intervention (12 weeks), and at a 3-month follow-up. The intervention consists of a 12-session, biweekly school-based counseling program delivered by trained school counselors, integrating cognitive restructuring, time-management and study skills, mindfulness-based stress reduction, peer-support facilitation, and problem-solving therapy components. In addition, teachers will receive brief supportive check-ins to reinforce skills. Data collection instruments include the MBI-SS, Perceived Stress Scale, Student Engagement Instrument, Self-Regulation Questionnaire, Coping Strategies Inventory, and a Program Fidelity Checklist. Qualitative data will be collected via semi-structured interviews with 20 students from the intervention group, 6 counselors, and 6 classroom teachers to explore perceived impact, acceptability, and contextual facilitators or barriers. Validity and reliability will be established through pilot testing, Cronbach’s alpha analysis, and inter-rater reliability for coding qualitative data. Quantitative data will be analyzed using ANCOVA to compare post-intervention burnout, stress, engagement, and self-regulation across groups while controlling for baseline scores; mediation analysis will test whether coping strategies mediate the relationship between the intervention and burnout outcomes. Longitudinal analyses will examine sustainability of effects at the 3-month follow-up. Thematic analysis will be applied to interview transcripts to identify emergent patterns related to program implementation, participant experiences, and contextual influences, with triangulation across data sources to strengthen interpretation. The study draws on the Conservation of Resources theory and the Self-Determination Theory to interpret results and to explain how resource gains and autonomy support influence burnout trajectories. Anticipated findings include a statistically significant reduction in burnout symptoms and perceived stress, alongside increases in learning engagement and self-regulation in the intervention group versus controls, with mediation effects linking improved coping to burnout reduction. Qualitative findings are expected to reveal enhanced perceived social support, greater relevance of school-based counseling, and improved student-teacher collaboration as key facilitators of program effectiveness. The contribution to knowledge includes empirical evidence on the design and implementation of a scalable, theory-driven school-based intervention for burnout prevention in adolescence, a robust evaluation framework for school-based mental health programs, and practical guidance on integrating counseling services with academic support. The study concludes that a structured, counselor-led intervention that builds coping resources and autonomous motivation can meaningfully reduce academic burnout and improve scholastic outcomes, with implications for policy and practice in school mental health services. Recommendations include adopting routine burnout screening, professional development for counselors in cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based techniques, fostering teacher collaboration for sustained activity, and exploring adaptation of the program for lower-grade students and different educational systems.