Teaching Disruption by COVID-19: Burnout, Isolation, and Sense of Belonging in Accounting Tutors in E-Learning and B-Learning

Abstract

This study examines burnout syndrome, feelings of isolation, and sense of belonging in a sample of accounting tutors enrolled in e-learning and b-learning modalities before and after COVID-19 disruption. The study also includes several sociodemographic and labour variables to better understand the three dimensions. The participants were tutors enrolled in two accounting courses at higher education during the academic years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. Our results do not show high levels of tutor burnout syndrome, neither before COVID-19 disruption nor after COVID-19 disruption. Findings also reveal that the isolation perception of accounting tutors is not high in both periods, while the sense of belonging of the teaching community is high in both periods. The evidence also suggests some variations in dimension scores according to sociodemographic and labour variables, but the evidence should be interpreted with caution due to the sample size. Despite this limitation, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates burnout, feelings of isolation, and sense of belonging in a tutor collective in e-learning and b-learning before and after COVID-19 disruption.

Variables Influencing Professors’ Adaptation to Digital Learning Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Different studies over the last few months have developed the fundamental role played by soft skills in teachers’ and students’ ability to face the situation [ 26 ]. Similarly, different publications have analyzed the levels of stress and burnout in teachers of different educational levels in the pandemic scenario [ 1 , 34 , 35 ], as well as the psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, isolation, and loneliness that the pandemic has caused [ 36 , 37 , 38 ], detecting differences in the levels of stress generated in teachers according to gender [ 39 ], place of residence [ 40 , 41 ], and cultural and social characteristics [ 42 ]. Other studies have analyzed in teachers the relationship between work hours, work–family balance and quality of life (QoL) [ 43 , 44 ], although teachers already reported a low perception of QoL before the COVID-19 pandemic with a significant impact on mental and physical health due to various stress factors associated with work overload [ 45 ].…”

Evaluation of the pivot to digital teaching and learning in pathology: Sentiments from a low‐middle‐income country

“…Consultant from WU A few respondents cited the convenience of attending in a space of their choice, but the majority of both consultants and residents regretted the lack of social interaction. These feelings of isolation that occurred in higher education during the COVID-19 digital pivot have been well described in other disciplines 30,31 and are something that needs to be dealt with in digital pathology training.…”

The challenges and experiences of academics supporting psychological capital among students at the emergence of COVID‐19: A qualitative investigation of award‐winning educators at a British university

“…Educators feel unappreciated for the work they do and are overworked, with some even requiring leave for health reasons. There is extensive literature indicating the high rates of burnout among faculty members in academia, which were heightened during the COVID‐19 pandemic (Fowler, 2015 ; Leal Filho et al, 2021 ; Parte & Herrador‐Alcaide, 2021 ; Taylor & Frechette, 2022 ; van der Ross et al, 2022 ; Watts & Robertson, 2011 ). As such, these results demand that emphasis be placed on the development of psychological capital in educators by universities.…”