This article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations for studying the psychological characteristics of teachers with signs of professional burnout. Contemporary socio-economic transformations in the education system, increasing professional demands on teachers, intensified emotional workload, and a high level of professional responsibility significantly affect their psychological well-being. In this context, a systematic analysis of the mechanisms underlying professional burnout, its personality-related psychological determinants, and the methodological foundations of its investigation is of considerable scientific and practical relevance.The purpose of the study is to systematize the theoretical and methodological foundations for investigating the psychological characteristics of teachers with signs of professional burnout, to analyze the major scientific concepts and psychological approaches explaining the phenomenon of professional burnout, and to determine the methodological potential of contemporary research in this field. The article reviews the scientific interpretations of the professional burnout phenomenon, its structural components, developmental stages, and psychological determinants. A comparative analysis of the works of both domestic and international scholars is presented. Furthermore, the scientific potential of the personality-oriented, systems, activity-based, and subject-oriented methodological approaches is examined. The study also describes the content and applicability of psychodiagnostic instruments used to assess professional burnout.

The findings identify the principal directions of an author-developed theoretical and methodological model that enables a comprehensive investigation of the psychological characteristics of teachers with signs of professional burnout. The scientific significance of the study lies in its integrated consideration of professional burnout from the standpoint of contemporary methodological approaches in psychological science. The proposed theoretical provisions and methodological framework may serve as a foundation for developing programs aimed at preserving teachers' professional health, providing psychological support, and designing empirical studies focused on the prevention and correction of professional burnout.