More Than Strength from Within: Cultivating Teacher Resilience During COVID-19

Abstract

Significant added stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to compound and exacerbate historic concerns about burnout and turnover within the teaching profession. This study used a convergent mixed methods design to investigate experiences of teacher well-being in the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, quantitative surveys investigated relationships among stress, school connectedness, and teacher efficacy among 146 teachers. Interviews with 16 teachers explored their qualitative perceptions of well-being, how they personally navigated the challenges of teaching remotely, and what their school and/or districts did to support teacher well-being. Interviewed teachers could be classified as growing, coping, or discouraged. Findings suggest that both individual and environmental factors contributed to a sense of well-being among growing and coping teachers.

Keywords

• resilience
• COVID-19
• teacher well-being