A Longitudinal Study on Teacher Well-Being During COVID-19

Teacher Morale and Mental Health at the Conclusion of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Other studies conducted throughout the pandemic saw increased teacher anxiety and depression (Jakubowski & Sitko-Dominik, 2021;Sokal et al, 2021;Walter & Fox, 2021). This had an overall impact on teacher well-being and led to lower morale and life-work balance by the end of the 2020-2021 school year (Marshall et al, 2022b).…”

“…However, some teachers found ways to limit the mental strain. For example, Walter and Fox (2021) found that teachers with empathetic leadership, good working teams, and increased resources had a better sense of well-being than other teachers.…”

“…The impact of the pandemic went beyond teacher stress and burnout. Teacher self-efficacy also decreased as teachers navigated the ever-changing requirements and expectations (Pellerone, 2021;Pressley & Ha, 2022;Walter & Fox, 2021). Thus, many teachers felt they were underperforming pedagogically due to the new requirements and expectations during this time.…”

“…Thus, many teachers felt they were underperforming pedagogically due to the new requirements and expectations during this time. In addition, as teachers tried to adjust to new teaching approaches and feel confident in their teaching, they also faced increased anxieties about teaching during a pandemic with very little input on return to learning plans (Pressley, 2021a;Walter & Fox, 2021). Overall, society asked a lot from teachers during the first year and a half of the pandemic, which significantly impacted their well-being.…”

“…As teachers entered the 2021-2022 school year, schools across the United States had a variety of requirements in place for teachers to enforce to keep students safe and continued uncertainty as the COVID-19 virus progressed (Walter & Fox, 2021). These safety protocols would change throughout the year leading to inconsistencies across states and schools with teachers having very little say in policy changes.…”