The Road Back to Normal? A Longitudinal Qualitative Investigation of Teacher Experiences Through COVID-19

• In Event: COVID-19 and K–12 Teachers' Well-Being and Mental Health

Abstract

This qualitative study represents the final report of a three-year longitudinal investigation of teacher experiences since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring semester of 2020. Teachers from a diverse set of school contexts discussed their experiences returning to fully in-person instruction of students in individual interviews and a focus group. The transcripts of those conversations were analyzed using a hybrid qualitative approach to uncover emergent themes and compare experiences across three school years across a priori themes including teacher well-being, student concerns, and instructional technology use. Emergent themes included student impacts (e.g., poor habits developed by students) and structural changes (e.g., staffing and increased interventions). Implications are discussed regarding the continued impact of COVID-19.

Authors

• Jeffrey Keese, Mercer University
  Presenting Author

• Karen E. McIntush, University of Houston
  Presenting Author