Factors Related to Teacher Resilience

• In Event: Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Teaching during the 2020-21 school year was fraught with challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic (Author, 20XX). In the United States, teacher experiences varied greatly from one context to another (Author, 20XX). Teacher attrition has been an issue of concern for years (e.g., Papay et al., 2017), and contemporary media outlets reported that this was being exacerbated by the pandemic (Singer, 2021). We surveyed teachers nationally three times between spring 2020 and spring 2021 to understand their experiences teaching during the pandemic. The findings shared in this session are based on the most recent survey (n=437). This survey included items related to teacher and school characteristics and teaching modalities as well as and five reliable measurement scales focused on student access to technology and resources (α=.804), school's COVID response and policies (α=.760, teacher satisfaction (α=.893), teacher leadership/autonomy (α=.826), and teacher burnout (α=.780).
We specifically sought to determine differences between teachers who planned to return to the same school and those without such plans. The typical teacher was most likely to identify as female (63.5%), Caucasian (67.7%), teach in a traditional public school (80.1%), a Title 1 school (54%), in a suburban setting (41.8%), and averaged 5.16 years at the same school (Range = 1 to 42 years). Of these teachers, 37.1% taught only through grade 6, 35.3% only in grades 7 to 12 and the remaining 27.6% in both elementary and secondary grades. Also, 21.6% indicated teaching special education. Finally, teachers were very likely to report having students quarantine during the academic year (77.2%) and having had to shift teaching modalities during the academic year (51.3%).
Using a two-group MANOVA, an overall multivariate difference was found between teachers planning to return to their school and those with different plans (Wilks' Lambda=.776 , p <.001). Follow-up univariate F-tests revealed statistically significant differences (p < .05) related to student resources, COVID response, teacher leadership, satisfaction, burnout and teaching modalities. More specifically, teachers who planned to stay at the same school expressed less burnout and more positive responses related to student access to resources, leadership/autonomy, satisfaction, school/district's response to COVID. Those planning to stay were more likely to be at schools offering hybrid modalities both fall and spring and less likely to offer face-to-face teaching both fall and spring.

Furthermore, teachers planning to return to their schools more strongly believed that their school's response to the pandemic was communicated effectively, and that they had been provided sufficient resources to help their students make up learning lost during the pandemic. Returning teachers also indicated that they were respected and trusted to make sound professional decisions, had sufficient planning time and autonomy with their teaching, enjoyed being a teacher, and found teaching to be rewarding. Finally, returning teachers experienced less burnout as they still found teaching to be fulfilling and meeting their expectations, not too tiring or wearing them out, and, given the choice, would choose to start a career in teaching again.

Authors

• David T. Marshall, Auburn University

• David Shannon, Auburn University

• Savanna M Love, Randolph-Macon College

• Natalie M. Neugebauer, Auburn University