Mother-Teachers' Experience of Stress and Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: Mental Health and Wellness of Teachers During COVID-19: Considerations for Moving Forward (Table 12)

Abstract

Balancing family and work responsibilities has been found to be associated with elevated levels of stress in working mothers, including increased work and parental stress (Zhou et al., 2018). With the majority of teachers identifying as women, it is important to understand how they have experienced stress and coping as working mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of the proposed mixed-methods study is to explore the mental health of secondary school mother-teachers and to identify the strategies and barriers to coping during the pandemic. To develop a better understanding of the stress and coping strategies of secondary school teachers who are mothers, a mixed-methods design will be used to 1) explore participants’ experiences of stress and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how their roles as teachers who are mothers influenced their experiences, and 2) explore the specific coping strategies used by teachers who are mothers. In this study, a grounded theory approach was used to capture the unique experiences of teachers who are mothers (Charmaz, 2006; Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Interviews are currently in progress, with sixteen mothers who are secondary school teachers having been interviewed already. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to examine the experiences of teachers who are mothers, in general and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Such research is both relevant and important. Results from the present study will be useful in the promotion of practices and policies that are aimed at supporting teachers who are mothers in the U.S.

Authors

• Malaïka Gutekunst, Lehigh University
  Presenting Author

• Christopher T.H. Liang, Lehigh University
  Presenting Author