School practices and teachers’ stress during the COVID-19 pandemic
Joro, Nea (2023)
Joro, Nea
2023
Master's Programme in Public and Global Health
Yhteiskuntatieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2023-11-03
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202310138822
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202310138822
Tiivistelmä
Work-related stress has emerged as a significant global concern affecting individuals in various professions in today’s world. Notably, the teaching profession is particularly susceptible to high levels of work-related stress, making it a major occupational health issue among teachers. The COVID-19 pandemic has only intensified these challenges, with teachers around the world reporting elevated levels of work-related stress and a decline in overall well-being at work. This heightened work stress poses a serious threat to individuals' mental and physical health, underscoring the importance of addressing this issue.
Previous research has predominantly centered on examining the stress levels, anxiety, and burnout experienced by teachers both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there exists a scarcity of studies that delve into the factors contributing to teachers' stress specifically during the pandemic, and even fewer studies that explore the interplay between school practices and teachers' stress within this context.
To bridge this research gap, this study endeavors to investigate the intricate association between school practices, teaching methods, and the stress experienced by Finnish educators amidst the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The principal objective of this thesis is to pinpoint the school practices and working methods associated with teachers' stress and to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of these associations. To accomplish this objective, the job demands-resources model is utilized as the foundational theoretical framework.
The data utilized in this research stems from a nationwide survey conducted in the spring of 2021, as part of the "Schooling, Teaching, and Well-Being in the School Community During the COVID-19 Epidemic" project, jointly administered by the University of Helsinki and the Tampere University. A total of 4,172 teachers participated in this electronically conducted survey. The survey encompassed inquiries into various aspects, including teachers' perceived stress, school practices, working methods, distance learning experiences, and relevant background information. The data were analysed using quantitative methods, including crosstabulation and logistic regression.
The findings of this study pinpointed notable factors connected to teacher stress. Specifically, inadequate technical support and dissatisfaction with supervisor support emerged as substantial contributors, more than doubling the odds of teachers experiencing high stress levels. Moreover, the concurrent implementation of both face-to-face and remote teaching, along with the absence of a clear policy on student absences, exhibited a robust association with teacher stress, resulting in nearly a twofold increase in the odds of experiencing high levels of stress.
This study provides valuable insights into the association between teacher stress and school practices, especially within the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings shed light on specific working practices in schools that are closely associated with heightened teacher stress during this unprecedented time. Armed with this knowledge, targeted interventions can be deployed to alleviate these stressors, reducing the risk of health issues among teachers, including cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders. These interventions not only benefit educators but also have far-reaching positive effects, such as enhancing academic outcomes for students and bolstering teachers' overall work capacity.
Previous research has predominantly centered on examining the stress levels, anxiety, and burnout experienced by teachers both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there exists a scarcity of studies that delve into the factors contributing to teachers' stress specifically during the pandemic, and even fewer studies that explore the interplay between school practices and teachers' stress within this context.
To bridge this research gap, this study endeavors to investigate the intricate association between school practices, teaching methods, and the stress experienced by Finnish educators amidst the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The principal objective of this thesis is to pinpoint the school practices and working methods associated with teachers' stress and to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of these associations. To accomplish this objective, the job demands-resources model is utilized as the foundational theoretical framework.
The data utilized in this research stems from a nationwide survey conducted in the spring of 2021, as part of the "Schooling, Teaching, and Well-Being in the School Community During the COVID-19 Epidemic" project, jointly administered by the University of Helsinki and the Tampere University. A total of 4,172 teachers participated in this electronically conducted survey. The survey encompassed inquiries into various aspects, including teachers' perceived stress, school practices, working methods, distance learning experiences, and relevant background information. The data were analysed using quantitative methods, including crosstabulation and logistic regression.
The findings of this study pinpointed notable factors connected to teacher stress. Specifically, inadequate technical support and dissatisfaction with supervisor support emerged as substantial contributors, more than doubling the odds of teachers experiencing high stress levels. Moreover, the concurrent implementation of both face-to-face and remote teaching, along with the absence of a clear policy on student absences, exhibited a robust association with teacher stress, resulting in nearly a twofold increase in the odds of experiencing high levels of stress.
This study provides valuable insights into the association between teacher stress and school practices, especially within the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings shed light on specific working practices in schools that are closely associated with heightened teacher stress during this unprecedented time. Armed with this knowledge, targeted interventions can be deployed to alleviate these stressors, reducing the risk of health issues among teachers, including cardiovascular disease and mental health disorders. These interventions not only benefit educators but also have far-reaching positive effects, such as enhancing academic outcomes for students and bolstering teachers' overall work capacity.