Structural Equation Modeling of Burnout, Support, and Retention Among Higher-Education Music Faculty Through Job Demands-Resources Framework and Self-Determination Theory

I investigated how job demands, institutional resources, and psychological needs shape well-being and retention among higher-education music faculty in the United States. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), I analyzed survey data from 204 faculty across 184 accredited music institutions using factor and structural equation modeling. The final model demonstrated good fit and revealed that higher workload increased burnout, while institutional support was associated with burnout and positively related to intentions to remain in academia. Burnout partially mediated the relationship between workload and support on retention. Full-time and tenured faculty reported greater workload but also higher support and lower burnout than contingent colleagues, while younger faculty showed slightly greater instructional adaptability. These exploratory findings highlighted institutional support as the most powerful predictor of well-being and persistence, suggesting that supportive and inclusive environments can counteract the strain of heavy workloads.