“The students keep me hopeful”: Teacher hope during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study examined teacher enactment of hope, specifically willpower, waypower, and agency in the shadow of the COVID-19 glare. Participants of this mixed methods study were K-12 public school classroom teachers (n = 233) in a Western US state. Quantitative survey results indicated teachers maintained moderate to high levels of hope. Qualitative survey results indicated themes of obstacles that were unique to this pandemic context as well as indicators of willpower, waypower, and agency. This study illustrates teacher resiliency and the ways in which they shifted instruction under highly strenuous circumstances. Teachers maintained hope because of their dedication to the students.