Pandemic Teaching, Burnout Theory, and Perceived Teacher Efficacy

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Learning From Teaching in the Pandemic and Its Effects (Table 33)

Abstract

This qualitative study examined K-8 educators’ experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. Using burnout theory as a theoretical framework, we interviewed 15 participants about their experiences teaching during and immediately after emergency remote instruction. We first applied burnout theory’s three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of professional efficacy as a priori codes, and we followed this with rounds of emergent coding. Findings indicated that while the first two of the dimensions were present across the group of participants during and after pandemic teaching, the third– lack of professional efficacy– in fact was reversed. Participants reported improved feelings of efficacy due to an increase in their autonomy to use their professional judgment.

Authors

• Katy Farber, Saint Michael's College

• Penny A. Bishop, Boston University