K−12 teachers' stress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

Abstract

We present the first systematic literature review on stress and burnout in K−12 teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a systematic literature search, we identified 17 studies that included 9,874 K−12 teachers from around the world. These studies showed some indication that burnout did increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were, however, almost no differences in the levels of stress and burnout experienced by K−12 teachers compared to individuals employed in other occupational fields. School principals' leadership styles emerged as an organizational characteristic that is highly relevant for K−12 teachers' levels of stress and burnout. Individual teacher characteristics associated with burnout were K−12 teachers' personality, self-efficacy in online teaching, and perceived vulnerability to COVID-19. In order to reduce stress, there was an indication that stress-management training in combination with training in technology use for teaching may be superior to stress-management training alone. Future research needs to adopt more longitudinal designs and examine the interplay between individual and organizational characteristics in the development of teacher stress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Teacher Morale, Job Satisfaction, and Burnout in Schools of Choice Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…We measured teacher burnout by calculating a total score for the following questions: 'I feel emotionally drained from my work;' 'I feel burned out from my work;' and 'I feel frustrated with my job.' Additional study findings throughout the pandemic showed that teachers reported increased workloads and high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout (e.g., Carver-Thomas et al, 2021;Kaden, 2020;Rǎducu & Stǎnculescu, 2022;Sokal et al, 2020;Westphal et al, 2022), which further supported our decision to use a short burnout scale to limit the time and work required of teachers at the end of the school year. Additionally, we included scales that measured teacher job satisfaction (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2011), administrative support (Seidman & Zager, 1986), teacher autonomy (Virginia Department of Education, 2021), all using 6-point Likert scales ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.…”

How Did COVID-19 Affect Education and What Can Be Learned Moving Forward?

“…In the reviews identified in our search, the pooled prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress among teachers during the pandemic ranged between 10%–49.4%, 16%–59.9%, and 12.6%–62.6%, respectively. Moreover, in their review containing longitudinal studies that compared experiences of teachers before and during the pandemic, Westphal and colleagues (2022) noted that some studies reported a decrease in feelings of accomplishment and an increase in depersonalization and emotional exhaustion.…”

Inner strength amidst pandemic: Teachers' self‐efficacy patterns and perceived personal accomplishments

“…Also, many teachers are under pressure to impact the learning loss during the pandemic. This includes raising student test scores on state‐mandated assessments; however, teachers are burned out (e.g., Carver‐Thomas et al, 2021; Rǎducu & Stǎnculescu, 2022; Sokal et al, 2020; Westphal et al, 2022), and teachers have had a decrease in their teacher self‐efficacy (e.g., Pellerone, 2021; Pressley & Ha, 2021; Rabaglietti et al, 2021). Further educational policies need to focus on supporting teachers rather than adding more pressure on teachers to limit potential teacher burnout (Ryan et al, 2017).…”