A Gender-Care-Specific Analysis of Teachers’ Occupational Well-Being During the Pandemic

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 5:10 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Educators' Experiences Through the Pandemic (Table 6)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented challenges on teachers professional and personal lives as the school closures required significant adaptations. We examine whether female teachers and those with childcare responsibilities faced a disproportionate burden during the pandemic. Analyzing longitudinal data from 194 German teachers, we found a significantly stronger increase in female teachers’ emotional exhaustion compared to their male colleagues during the pandemic. Teachers with childcare responsibilities reported a similar increase in emotional exhaustion due to the pandemic restrictions as teachers without children, but a greater recovery after the restrictions were eased. Private resources (disturbance-free workplace) reduce strain more for men than for women. Against the background of the mental load hypothesis, these results emphasize the need to address gender-based disparities.

Authors

• Meike Bonefeld, University of Freiburg

• Verena Jörg, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education

• Thamar Voss, University of Freiburg

• Nikolaus Bönke, University of Freiburg

• Mareike Kunter, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education