Teacher motivation is a critical determinant of education quality. Motivated teachers are more likely to adopt effective pedagogical practices, invest effort in lesson preparation, and foster positive classroom interactions—all of which improve student learning outcomes.
Despite the central role that teacher (de)motivation plays in shaping education systems, especially through their effects on retention and instructional quality, there remains limited empirical evidence on the mechanisms driving (de)motivation—particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper examines the determinants of teacher demotivation—proxied through emotional exhaustion, the affective core of burnout—among public teachers in Northern Ghana, a context where teachers often operate under conditions of high job demands, limited resources, and weak institutional support, making the risk of demotivation especially acute. Understanding the factors that erode or sustain teachers’ motivation in such environments is essential for improving education quality and teacher wellbeing.