1
|
Marchant E, Dowd J, Bray L, Rowlands G, Miles N, Crick T, James M, Dadaczynski K, Okan O. The well-being and work-related stress of senior school leaders in Wales and Northern Ireland during COVID-19 "educational leadership crisis": A cross-sectional descriptive study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0291278. [PMID: 38598518 PMCID: PMC11006137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused far-reaching societal changes, including significant educational impacts affecting over 1.6 billion pupils and 100 million education practitioners globally. Senior school leaders were at the forefront and were exposed to particularly high demands during a period of "crisis leadership". This occupation were already reporting high work-related stress and large numbers leaving the profession preceding COVID-19. This cross-sectional descriptive study through the international COVID-Health Literacy network aimed to examine the well-being and work-related stress of senior school leaders (n = 323) in Wales (n = 172) and Northern Ireland (n = 151) during COVID-19 (2021-2022). Findings suggest that senior school leaders reported high workloads (54.22±11.30 hours/week), low well-being (65.2% n = 202, mean WHO-5 40.85±21.57), depressive symptoms (WHO-5 34.8% n = 108) and high work-related stress (PSS-10: 29.91±4.92). High exhaustion (BAT: high/very high 89.0% n = 285) and specific psychosomatic complaints (experiencing muscle pain 48.2% n = 151) were also reported, and females had statistically higher outcomes in these areas. School leaders were engaging in self-endangering working behaviours; 74.7% (n = 239) gave up leisure activities in favour of work and 63.4% (n = 202) sacrificed sufficient sleep, which was statistically higher for females. These findings are concerning given that the UK is currently experiencing a "crisis" in educational leadership against a backdrop of pandemic-related pressures. Senior leaders' high attrition rates further exacerbate this, proving costly to educational systems and placing additional financial and other pressures on educational settings and policy response. This has implications for senior leaders and pupil-level outcomes including health, well-being and educational attainment, requiring urgent tailored and targeted support from the education and health sectors. This is particularly pertinent for Wales and Northern Ireland as devolved nations in the UK, who are both implementing or contemplating major education system level reforms, including new statutory national curricula, requiring significant leadership, engagement and ownership from the education profession.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Marchant
- Department of Education and Childhood Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Joanna Dowd
- Health Researcher (Freelance), Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Bray
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University, Edge Hill, United Kingdom
| | - Gill Rowlands
- Public Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Nia Miles
- National Academy for Educational Leadership Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Crick
- Department of Education and Childhood Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Michaela James
- National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research, Population Data Science, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Dadaczynski
- Department of Health Sciences, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Fulda, Germany
- Centre for Applied Health Sciences, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Orkan Okan
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Center for Health and Medicine in Society, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Center for Health Promotion in Childhood and Adolescence, School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Scott JJ, Vernon L, Metse AP. The International Framework for School Health Promotion: Supporting Young People Through and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. THE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH 2023; 93:920-929. [PMID: 37434426 DOI: 10.1111/josh.13369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The worldwide COVID-19 government restrictions imposed on young people to limit virus spread have precipitated a growing and long-term educational and health crisis. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE THEORY This novel study used Sen's Capabilities Approach as a theoretical framework to examine the current health and educational impacts of COVID-19 on youth, referencing emerging literature. The objective was to inform the design of an internationally relevant framework for school health promotion to support young people through and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mapping of existing health resources, internal/external conversion factors and capabilities were used to identify classroom, school and system level strategies that will enable young people to flourish. Four central enablers were identified and used in the design of the International Framework for School Health Promotion (IFSHP). IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE AND EQUITY The IFSHP can be used by educational institutions, school leaders and teachers to innovate existing health promotion programs, policies and practices to support young people through and after the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS School systems, schools and teachers are encouraged to utilize the IFSHP to review and innovate existing school health programs to ensure they meet the increased physical and mental health needs of young people.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Scott
- School of Education and Tertiary Access, University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia; School of Education, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA, 6050, Australia
| | - Lynette Vernon
- School of Education, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA, 6050, Australia
| | - Alexandra P Metse
- School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sundaram N, Tilouche N, Cullen L, Hosseini P, Nguipdop-Djomo P, Langan SM, Hargreaves JR, Bonell C. Implementation in an emergency: Qualitative longitudinal research on the experience of implementing Covid-19 prevention in English schools. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2023; 3:100257. [PMID: 36998431 PMCID: PMC10037912 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Implementation studies rarely examine how health interventions are delivered in emergencies. Informed by May's general theory of implementation (GTI), we undertook qualitative longitudinal research to investigate how schools in England implemented Covid-19-prevention measures and how this evolved over the 2020–2021 school year in a rapidly changing epidemiological and policy context. We conducted 74 semi-structured interviews over two time-points with headteachers, teachers, parents and students across eight primary and secondary schools. School leaders rapidly made sense of government guidance despite many challenges. They developed and disseminated prevention plans to staff, parents and students. As defined by GTI, ‘cognitive participation’ and ‘collective action’ to enact handwashing, one-way systems within schools and enhanced cleaning were sustained over time. However, measures such as physical distancing and placing students in separated groups were perceived to conflict with schools' mission to promote student education and wellbeing. Commitment to implement these was initially high during the emergency phase but later fluctuated dependant on perceived risk and local disease epidemiology. They were not considered sustainable in the long term. Adherence to some measures, such as wearing face-coverings, initially considered unworkable, improved as they were routinised. Implementing home-based asymptomatic testing was considered feasible. Formal and informal processes of ‘reflexive monitoring’ by staff informed improvements in intervention workability and implementation. Leaders also developed skills and confidence, deciding on locally appropriate actions, some of which deviated from official guidance. However, over time, accumulating staff burnout and absence eroded school capacity to collectively enact implementation. Qualitative longitudinal research allowed us to understand how implementation in an emergency involved the above emergent processes. GTI was useful in understanding school implementation processes in a pandemic context but may need adaptation to take into account the changing and sometimes contradictory objectives, time-varying factors and feedback loops that can characterise implementation of health interventions in emergencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neisha Sundaram
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Nerissa Tilouche
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Cullen
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Paniz Hosseini
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Nguipdop-Djomo
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Sinéad M Langan
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - James R Hargreaves
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Bonell
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1H 9SH, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nguipdop-Djomo P, Oswald WE, Halliday KE, Cook S, Sturgess J, Sundaram N, Warren-Gash C, Fine PE, Glynn J, Allen E, Clark TG, Ford B, Judd A, Ireland G, Poh J, Bonell C, Dawe F, Rourke E, Diamond I, Ladhani SN, Langan SM, Hargreaves J, Mangtani P. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary and secondary school students and staff in England in the 2020/2021 school year: a longitudinal study. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 128:230-243. [PMID: 36621754 PMCID: PMC9815858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Investigate risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infections in school students and staff. METHODS In the 2020/2021 school year, we administered polymerase chain reaction, antibody tests, and questionnaires to a sample of primary and secondary school students and staff, with data linkage to COVID-19 surveillance. We fitted logistic regression models to identify the factors associated with infection. RESULTS We included 6799 students and 5090 staff in the autumn and 11,952 students and 4569 staff in the spring/summer terms. Infections in students in autumn 2020 were related to the percentage of students eligible for free school meals. We found no statistical association between infection risk in primary and secondary schools and reported contact patterns between students and staff in either period in our study. Using public transports was associated with increased risk in autumn in students (adjusted odds ratio = 1.72; 95% confidence interval 1.31-2.25) and staff. One or more infections in the same household during either period was the strongest risk factor for infection in students and more so among staff. CONCLUSION Deprivation, community, and household factors were more strongly associated with infection than contacts patterns at school; this suggests that the additional school-based mitigation measures in England in 2020/2021 likely helped reduce transmission risk in schools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Nguipdop-Djomo
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - William E Oswald
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Katherine E Halliday
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sarah Cook
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Joanna Sturgess
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Neisha Sundaram
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Charlotte Warren-Gash
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Paul Em Fine
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Judith Glynn
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Allen
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Taane G Clark
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Benjamin Ford
- Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Newport, UK
| | - Alison Judd
- Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Newport, UK
| | | | - John Poh
- Public Health Programmes, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - Chris Bonell
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Fiona Dawe
- Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Newport, UK
| | - Emma Rourke
- Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Newport, UK
| | - Ian Diamond
- Office for National Statistics, Government Buildings, Newport, UK
| | - Shamez N Ladhani
- Public Health Programmes, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK; Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Sinéad M Langan
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - James Hargreaves
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Punam Mangtani
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|