Subjective discomfort and personality traits of university teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The current threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the transition to distance (online) education in all educational institutions of the country, including universities. A sudden forced change in the form and structure of education has psychological consequences for all the participants in the educational process. The objective of the study presented was to examine the severity of anxiety, career maladjustment, stress levels, and coping strategies among university teachers during the transition to distance (online) education. The sample comprised 169 individual participants (95 women, 74 men) aged 25 to 70 years: 119 university teachers of the Rostov region (mean age = 45 years) and 40 sales specialists as the control group (mean age = 35 years). The study was conducted online from 04.24.2020 to 06.15.2020. The results indicate a general tendency to increasing stress levels and severity of career maladjustment. university teachers have a higher level of professional motivation and less often complain of feeling unwell and of a decrease in cognitive functions. Less adaptive in terms of stable personality parameters respondents are more likely to experience stress and more prone to manifest unmotivated anxiety. They demonstrate a higher level of career maladjustment and subjective discomfort when using the Internet. The preferred coping strategy is to openly complain about work or general negative feelings. Changes in the dynamic personality characteristics of university teachers during distance education are determined by their stable personality characteristics rather than by their age, which is often mentioned as the main factor for adaptation difficulties.