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Teacher self‐efficacy is studied as a personal resource factor that may protect from the experience of job strain and, thus, make the escalation of burnout less likely. The article examines the relationships between self‐efficacy, job stress, and burnout, focusing on mediation (self‐efficacy → job stress → burnout). Moreover, it questions whether such a mediation, if found, would be dependent on the levels of other variables (moderated mediation). Study I, with two samples of teachers (N= 1,203), examined this putative mechanism cross‐sectionally and found such an effect, in particular for younger teachers and those with low general self‐efficacy. Study II, with 458 teachers, replicated the results longitudinally over a period of one year by employing structural equation models. In a cross‐lagged panel design, low self‐efficacy preceded burnout. Further research should study these mechanisms by interventions that aim …