Teacher Training Can Make a Difference: Tools to Overcome the Impact of COVID-19 on Primary Schools. An Experimental Study

Does Social and Organizational Support Moderate Emotional Intelligence Training Effectiveness?

Given the dearth of systematic research and inconclusive results regarding the effectiveness of emotional intelligence (EI) training in adult training, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of EI training. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of EI training on learning and transfer outcomes, considering underexplored moderation of social and organizational support with experimental and longitudinal research design. Training transfer was measured through changes in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and counterproductive work behavior (CWB). Participants self-assessed their OCB and CWB levels, while their supervisors also provided evaluations, allowing for separate analysis. Data, from a sample comprising 176 government officials, were collected across different periods and analyzed employing diverse analytical tools. The results revealed positive effects of EI training on training outcomes in both samples but positive moderation effect of social and organizational support on the effect of EI training on training outcomes was observed in the self-evaluation sample but not in the supervisor evaluation sample. The findings advance the debate on social exchange theory and organizational support theory by showing the boundary condition of their applicability. Furthermore, this study clarifies the impact of EI training on training outcomes by emphasizing the nuanced role of social and organizational support.

Building paths to success: a multilevel analysis of the effects of an emotional intelligence development program on the academic achievement of future teachers

Introduction

The situation generated by the recent pandemic has had several effects on education, one of them being the necessary but hasty efforts of teachers and students to adapt to the demands of a virtual classroom environment. Thus, it is essential to promote the development of digital competencies in future teachers, enabling them to create effective learning situations in the digital medium. Moreover, the European university curriculum includes a set of specific competencies (specific to each degree) and a series of generic competencies, many of which are related to emotional intelligence. Our work emerges from these specific premises and the more general need to develop emotional skills and learning abilities in virtual environments for future educators.

Methods

The sample comprised 240 students in higher education, pursuing a bachelor's degree in education at the University of Alicante, Spain (68.3% were female and average age of the participants was 19.43 years SD = 4.127). Using a quasi-experimental design with pretests, posttests, and a control group, we present the effects of an online program aimed at improving the emotional skills and academic achievement of future teachers in higher education. In this study, a 30-h emotional intelligence training program was implemented. Since the student sample was grouped into different classes, we analyzed, using a generalized linear mixed-effects model, whether students who took the program showed a significant improvement in their academic achievement at the end of their studies, compared to those who did not take it.

Results

The findings show a significant improvement in the academic achievement at the end of the bachelor's degree studies of the students in the experimental group.

Discussion

These results open up a field of possibilities for the implementation of this type of training using virtual environments, enabling interventions to enhance the emotional development of the teaching staff (and, subsequently, in their students), develop their teaching careers adequately, and employ the ideal strategies to address educational programs. Looking ahead, the integration of emotional development programs that incorporate emerging technology into university curricula could enhance the preparation of educators profoundly and create adaptable learning environments for contemporary students.

Prevalence and factors for anxiety and depression among secondary school teachers from Sfax city of Tunisia in times of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Introduction

teachers have to adapt during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to many changes that could potentially make them more vulnerable to psychological distress. We aimed to assess anxiety and depression in Tunisian secondary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore their associated factors.

Methods

we conducted a cross-sectional survey concerning Tunisian secondary school teachers between May 1st, 2021, and June 30th, 2021, using an online survey platform via Google Forms. Participants were asked to fill in a form including two psychometric tests: the General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). We performed both univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Results

a total of 170 secondary school teachers were included, of whom 22.4% (n=38) were males and 77.6% (n=132) were females. The median age was 45.5 years (Q1=39, Q3=49). The overall anxiety prevalence was 34.7% (n=59) while it was 41.7% (n=71) for depression. In multivariable analysis, anxiety was strongly associated with sleep disturbances (aOR: 5.1; 95% CI: 1.80-14.45; p=0.002) and depression (aOR: 33.91; 95% CI: 12.32-93.33; p<0.001) while depression was strongly associated with dissatisfaction with working conditions (aOR: 3.99; 95% CI: 1.49-10.65; p=0.006), the irregular wearing of protective masks (aOR: 3.94; 95% CI: 1.33-11.66; p=0.013) and anxiety (aOR=51.63; 95% CI: 17.74-150.25; p<0.001).

Conclusion

secondary school teachers in Tunisia are characterized by a high rate of anxiety and depressive disorders which are related to personal and professional factors on which we can act by supplying of educational institutions by protective masks, the implementation of programs for adjusting working conditions and the practice of non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia management.

A panoramic view of hospitalized young children in the metropolitan area of the valley of Mexico during COVID-19

Objectives

This work provides an overview of young children's (aged 0-9) infectious diseases epidemiology, by exploring the link between various comorbid conditions, COVID-19, and death rate.

Methods

Public data on hospitalized young children was obtained from national databases of the Mexican health care system from 2020-2022. Data included age, year of entry, gender, the time between admission to death (hospitalization time), date of death, comorbidities, and admissions to the intensive care unit. Children were separated into age groups and frequencies were calculated. Binary regression models were developed to determine the correlation of comorbidities and COVID-19 to death as calculated by odds ratios (OR).

Results

From 2020-2022, there were 11,815 hospitalizations among young children, of which 15.98% were due to COVID-19, 2.55% of hospitalizations resulted in fatalities from which 32.45% of deaths were COVID-19 related. The highest case-calculated fatality ratio of COVID-19 infected young children was estimated at 7.04% by early 2020, but dropped to 2.11% by the end of the second semester of 2022. The most frequent comorbidities associated with their hospitalization and death for the general population were intubation (OR: 17.967), pneumonia (OR: 2.263), diabetes (OR: 7.301), cardiovascular diseases (OR: 1.528) and COVID-19 (OR: 261). For the COVID-19-positive group, the most impactful comorbidities were intubation (OR: 20.232), pneumonia (OR: 3.057), and diabetes (OR: 12.824).

Conclusion

Children's hospitalizations and deaths were common during the pandemic; wherein major comorbidities played an important role. Therefore, effective comorbidity management and vaccination programs are essential to reduce hospitalizations and deaths among young children.

Implementation of COVID-19 Preventive Measures and Staff Well-Being in a Sample of English Schools 2020-2021

BACKGROUND

We examined fidelity and feasibility of implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures in schools, and explored associations between adherence to these measures and staff well-being, to inform policy on sustainable implementation and staff wellbeing.

METHODS

Surveys were conducted across 128 schools in England with 107 headteachers and 2698 staff-members with reference to autumn term 2020, examining school-level implementation of preventive measures, adherence, and teacher burnout (response rates for headteacher and staff surveys were 84% and 59%, respectively).

RESULTS

The median number of measures implemented in primary and secondary schools was 33 (range 23-41), and 32 (range 22-40), respectively; most measures presented challenges. No differences were found regarding number of measures implemented by school-level socio-economic disadvantage. High adherence was reported for staff wearing face-coverings, staff regularly washing their hands, (secondary only) desks facing forwards, and (primary only) increased cleaning of surfaces and student hand-washing. Adherence to most measures was reported as higher in primary than secondary schools. Over half of school leaders and 42% (517/1234) of other teaching staff suffered from high emotional exhaustion. Higher teacher-reported school-wide adherence with measures was consistently associated with lower burnout for leaders and other teaching staff.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate a tremendous effort in implementing preventive measures and an urgent need to support investments in improving teacher wellbeing.

Teachers’ Emotional Intelligence, Burnout, Work Engagement, and Self-Efficacy during COVID-19 Lockdown

Teachers’ psychological well-being is a crucial aspect that influences learning in a classroom climate. The aim of the study was to investigate teachers’ emotional intelligence, burnout, work engagement, and self-efficacy in times of remote teaching during COVID-19 lockdown. A sample of 65 teachers (Mage = 50.49), from early childhood through lower secondary education, were recruited during a period of school closure to answer self-report questionnaires and other measures assessing study variables. Results showed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers reported higher levels of burnout and lower levels of self-esteem due to multiple challenges related to remote teaching and the growing sense of insecurity regarding health safety in the school environment. However, the negative effects of COVID-19 on teachers’ self-efficacy, work engagement, and burnout varied according to their own levels of emotional intelligence. These results demonstrate that emotional intelligence may support teachers in facing these challenges.

Revamping Teacher Training for Challenging Times: Teachers' Well-Being, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and Innovative Methodologies as Key Teaching Competencies

Purpose

This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a teacher training program to improve the quality and innovation of teaching practice. The program was designed to protect teachers' mental health and well-being, and increase their resilience and emotional competence while introducing innovative educational methodologies.

Participants and Methods

An experimental design using a control group and pre-/post-test empirical data was adopted to determine the effects of the 14-week teacher training program. The sample comprised 141 teachers with mean teaching experience of 13.1 years (SD = 6.84, 54.6% women).

Results

The program had a positive impact on teacher well-being, resilience, emotional competence, and self-efficacy, linked to the innovative and effective teacher methodologies included in the training.

Conclusion

More research is needed to expand on the findings and optimize teacher training implementation. The training provided in this study is evidence of the commitment to overcoming current educational framework challenges. The training contributes to teacher empowerment and provides knowledge, strategies, and resources for greater innovation and quality in the classroom - key to creating educational synergies for the emergence of stronger teachers in the face of adversity. We discuss future research directions for a better understanding of teacher training in the 21st century.

Primary school teachers' emotions, implicit beliefs, and self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the Covid-19 pandemic, primary school teachers faced many challenges when providing online and hybrid teaching, especially in PE classes. This study aimed to analyze emotions, self-perceived instructional competence, and incremental beliefs during the first lockdown, in distance education instructional delivery, and, as the pandemic emergency persisted, in hybrid teaching. One hundred and four primary school teachers (Males = 7; Females = 97; M_age= 53.24; SD_age= 7.34) were involved in the study from four Italian Primary Schools. Participants filled in the Motivation, Emotion, Strategies, and Teaching questionnaire (MESI) ( 1) administered in an online survey. Results showed that younger teachers had significantly lower scores in negative emotions when they taught than the older ones. On the other hand, older teachers have more belief in their own abilities to improve teaching, unlike younger teachers. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that teachers' positive emotions experienced in teaching predict perceived instructional efficacy during distance learning. Furthermore, teachers' positive emotions experienced in teaching and in the role of teacher predict teachers' changes in PE teaching during distance learning. Incremental beliefs predict perceived instructional efficacy during distance learning. Efforts on pre-service and in-service teacher training programs could help teachers strengthen emotional competencies and manage their stress in the classroom, both in normal educational contexts and in adverse conditions.

Intervention Programs Targeting the Mental Health, Professional Burnout, and/or Wellbeing of School Teachers: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

This paper outlines a systematic review and meta-analyses to identify, describe, and evaluate randomised and non-randomised controlled trials of psychological programs targeting the mental health, professional burnout, and/or wellbeing of school classroom teachers. Eighty-eight unique studies were identified for inclusion in the review, and of those 46 were included in the meta-analyses (23 randomised controlled trials). In randomised controlled trials, the programs examined had large effects on stress (g=0.93), and moderate effects on anxiety (g=0.65), depression (g=0.51), professional burnout (g=0.57), and wellbeing (g=0.56) at post. In non-randomised controlled trials, programs had moderate effects on stress (g=0.50), and small effects on anxiety (g=0.38) and wellbeing (g=0.38) at post. Studies were heterogeneous in design and methodological quality was generally poor, particularly in non-randomised controlled trials. There was an inadequate number of comparisons to perform sub-group analyses, meta-regression, or publication bias analyses. Most of the programs examined required significant time, effort, and resources to deliver and complete. These programs may not translate well outside of research trials to real-world contexts due to teachers being time-poor. Priorities for research include using methodologically rigorous designs, developing programs for teachers with teachers (i.e. co-design), and considering implementation factors to ensure feasibility, acceptability, and uptake. Systematic Review Registration Number: PROPSERO - CRD42020159805.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10648-023-09720-w.

Enforced Remote Work During COVID-19 and The Importance of Technological Competency: A Job Demands-Resources Perspective

BACKGROUND

As we live in the era of technology, it is clear that employees' technical skills and savviness are important to their work performance. With the COVID-19 pandemic, these qualities have become a "necessity‿ for many employees as they have switched to remote working. Less attention, however, has been given to empirical evidence regarding how employees' technological competencies influence their work outcomes during a forced shift to remote work. Integrating the theories of Job Demands-Resources and Conservation of Resources, this study sought to provide evidence regarding the joint effect of job/personal resources and technological competency on levels of employees' remote work engagement and performance.

METHOD

A total of 131 teachers working in Turkey completed an online survey during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. SPSS Process Macro (Model 7) was used for hypotheses testing.

RESULTS

We found partial support for the proposed moderated mediation model. Specifically, psychological resilience (as a personal resource) increased the level of work performance through work engagement and this relationship was stronger among employees with high levels of technological competency. However, the results did not provide support for the hypothesized interaction effect of workplace support (as a job resource) and technological competency on work performance through work engagement.

CONCLUSION

This research advances the theoretical and empirical understanding of the role of technological competency in the motivational process of the Job Demands-Resources model. Our findings suggest that providing training activities aimed at promoting employee learning in the domain of online work tools can accelerate the effect of personal resources on work outcomes, especially during enforced remote working, as in the case of COVID-19.

K-12 teachers' stress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review

We present the first systematic literature review on stress and burnout in K-12 teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a systematic literature search, we identified 17 studies that included 9,874 K-12 teachers from around the world. These studies showed some indication that burnout did increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were, however, almost no differences in the levels of stress and burnout experienced by K-12 teachers compared to individuals employed in other occupational fields. School principals' leadership styles emerged as an organizational characteristic that is highly relevant for K-12 teachers' levels of stress and burnout. Individual teacher characteristics associated with burnout were K-12 teachers' personality, self-efficacy in online teaching, and perceived vulnerability to COVID-19. In order to reduce stress, there was an indication that stress-management training in combination with training in technology use for teaching may be superior to stress-management training alone. Future research needs to adopt more longitudinal designs and examine the interplay between individual and organizational characteristics in the development of teacher stress and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Teachers’ emotional exhaustion before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Neither emotional exertion nor vacation feeling

Purpose

In this paper, we use latent change models to examine the changes in in-service teachers’ emotional exhaustion before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, teachers are confronted with challenging tasks, which can lead to stress and burnout. Resultingly, teachers’ stress experiences have been examined in different studies. However, often the change in those experiences remains unclear. Against this background, we investigate longitudinally how the emotional exhaustion of a cohort of German teachers changes. In addition, we examine whether gender, age, teaching degree studied, or the amount of time spent in distance learning affected the change during the pandemic.

Methods

We surveyed German veteran teachers (N = 382) about their emotional exhaustion at three measurement points. The first two surveys were before the COVID-19 pandemic (t₁: winter 2016/2017; t₂: spring: 2019), and the third measurement point was after the first lockdown Germany in summer 2020 (t₃). To answer the research questions, we used neighbor-change models.

Results

Emotional exhaustion increased between the first two measurement points (t₁, t₂) but decreased in the following period (t₂, t₃). The changes in the two periods did not differ significantly from each other. Neither gender, age, nor the teaching profession studied influenced the change in emotional exhaustion. The hours spent in distance learning were also not a significant predictor.

Conclusion

In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to be associated with higher emotional exhaustion across the veteran teachers. However, there are some teachers whose emotional exhaustion rises to high levels. Those teachers deserve special attention.

Psychometric Properties (Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Difference across Gender) of the Learning Transfer Inventory System (LTIS) to Assess Thai Teachers’ Learning Transfer of COVID-19 Prevention Guidance in the Classroom

One of the most important ways to improve, update, and sustain teachers’ skills in an institution is via training. Nonetheless, despite the resources invested in training, learners’ mobilization of new learning after they return to work does not always reach expectations, in part because of a lack of learning transfer assessment tools. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the learning transfer inventory system (LTSI) in assessing the teachers’ transfer of COVID-19 prevention measures in Thai public school institutions. Participants were a sample of 700 in-service teachers (females = 54.8%; mean age = 36 years, SD = 15.41) who completed training on health code guidance for COVID-19 prevention in school. Results following confirmatory factor analysis, a test of the measurement invariance and measurement of the latent mean difference across gender, of the instrument yielded support for the hypothesized 16-factor structure. Empirical support for discriminant and convergent validity was strong. Additionally, we found a significant latent mean difference between male and female teachers related to the constructs peer support, supervisor sanction, and training design. The LTSI appears to yield valid and reliable scores for measuring the learning transfer of Thai teachers following in-service training.

What Levers to Promote Teachers’ Wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Lessons Learned from a 2021 Online Study in Six Countries

To highlight effective levers to promote teachers’ wellbeing worldwide, particularly during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated work-related factors associated with teacher wellbeing, across borders and cultures. In six countries/territories, we examined the factors that were most consistently and strongly associated with two indicators of wellbeing at work: (i) job satisfaction; and (ii) work/life balance, and three indicators of general wellbeing: (i) subjective health; (ii) mental health; and (iii) life satisfaction. Between May and July 2021, after 18 months of the pandemic, 8000 teachers answered the first edition of the International Barometer of Education Personnel’s Health and Wellbeing (I-BEST): 3646 teachers from France, 2349 from Québec, 1268 from Belgium, 302 from Morocco, 222 from The Gambia, and 215 from Mexico. For each country/territory and each wellbeing indicator, we used a forward stepwise regression procedure to identify important determinants among a carefully selected set of 31 sociodemographic, private, and professional life factors. Aside from healthcare access, the factors most consistently and strongly associated with teacher wellbeing in France, Québec and Belgium (samples whose size were ≥1000) were related to the psychosocial and the organizational dimensions of work, namely: feeling of safety at school, autonomy at work, and the quality of relationships with superiors and quality of relationships with students. In the smaller samples of teachers from the three remaining countries (Morocco, The Gambia and Mexico), exploratory analyses showed that the feeling of safety and autonomy at work were, there too, consistently associated with wellbeing indicators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the factors most consistently associated with teachers’ wellbeing across countries were related to security and autonomy at work, supporting the importance to consider these aspects in a continuous, structural way at school. Factors associated with teachers’ wellbeing in very different contexts require further cross-cultural study.

Impacts of COVID-19 on primary, secondary and tertiary education: a comprehensive review and recommendations for educational practices

COVID-19 lockdown has caused disruption to education of all levels with far-reaching implications and unveiled the shortfalls of the current education model. Cycles of tightening and relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown confer uncertainty to the continuity of education. This article aims to comprehensively present the impacts of COVID-19 on primary, secondary and tertiary education and propose sound educational practices in the COVID-19 era. Papers related to educational impacts and implications of COVID-19 were selected for this review through a PRISMA model. The review shows that a shift of learning remotely or online has affected educators and learners, especially in relation to learning loss among learners, limitations in instructions, assessment and experiential learning in virtual environment, technology-related constraints, connectivity, learning resources and materials, besides psychosocial well-being. These impacts are exacerbated by inequalities in the distribution of resources as well as inequities attributed to socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, learning ability and physical conditions. The recommendations for future educational practices comprise adaptability of curricula to embed independent and online learning options, concurrence of diverse learning modalities for seamless learning transitions and flexibility, flexible staffing and learning model, enhanced support, technological and curricular innovation with simplification and standardization, as well as interactive, responsive and authentic virtual environment. This review contributes significantly to enhance preparedness of education to crisis while ensuring continuity and quality of education in the era of COVID-19 uncertainty.

Impact of COVID-19 Public Health Protocols on Teachers Instructing Children and Adolescents During an In-Person Simulation

Objective

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health agencies and school boards across Canada enacted new protocols, including face masks, physical distancing and enhanced hygiene, to support the safe reopening of in-person school. This study explored the experiences and perceptions of teachers instructing children and adolescents in person during a two-day school simulation.

Method

This study was part of a large school simulation exercise conducted in Toronto, Ontario. Kindergarten to grade 12 teachers taught in classrooms with either masked students, or students who were un-masked or only masked when physical distancing was not possible. A qualitative descriptive phenomenology approach was utilized, and data were collected via virtual focus groups. Qualitative data analysis involved multiple rounds of inductive coding to generate themes.

Results

The sample included 14 teachers (92.9% female; 85.7% White), with a median of 9.5 years teaching experience. Three primary themes emerged: 1) learning to navigate public health measures, 2) needing to adapt teaching strategies and 3) striving to manage conflicting priorities. The majority of teachers reported that mask-wearing and physical distancing impacted their classroom teaching, communication and connection with students.

Conclusions

As schools transition to in-person instruction, teachers will be required to play dual roles in education and public health, with implications on safety, teaching and professional identity. Public health agencies and school boards are encouraged to engage teachers in ongoing conversations regarding in-person school planning and operations. Furthermore, evidence-based interventions, including increased teaching development programs, are recommended to support teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special education staff well-being and the effectiveness of remote services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since March 2020, many school districts across the country have employed remote learning procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, schools continued to provide special education services, yet little is known about how services were adapted for remote or hybrid learning during the height of the pandemic in the United States. In the current study, 332 respondents completed a web-based survey that asked what special education services were provided remotely, whether services were deemed effective, and how remote learning has influenced their well-being. Most respondents identified as White (79.5%), females (92.4%), and worked as special education teachers (52.9%) and school psychologists (35.4%). In compliance with federal guidelines, most respondents continued to hold individualized education plan meetings, conduct assessments, and provide interventions and related services. There was a significant decrease in respondents' reports of efficacy and sense of school connectedness during remote and hybrid learning. Respondents' identification as a person of color, along with reports of higher school connectedness and self-efficacy were positive predictors of their perceived effectiveness of remote special education service delivery. Recommendations are made for school districts to inform decisions regarding their approach to special education services and staff support during remote or hybrid learning.

Variables Influencing Professors' Adaptation to Digital Learning Environments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper conducts quantitative research on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adaptation to digital learning environments (DLE) of a group of 908 university professors. We compared the perceptions of participants who were digital natives (born before 1980) with those of digital immigrants (born after 1980). For this purpose, a validated survey was used and the obtained responses statistically analyzed. The results show a negative correlation between pandemic stress and the digital competence of professors and their adaptation skills to digital environments, which although weak for both of the two groups compared are stronger for digital immigrants. Both self-confidence and digital competence show a positive influence on the perception of adaptation of skills to DLE, and this is weaker in digital natives. Gaps were identified by gender and area of knowledge of the participants; consequently, the need to carry out training actions for university faculty on skills linked to their digital competence in teaching is clear.

OKAPI, an Emotional Education and Classroom Climate Improvement Program Based on Cooperative Learning: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

A positive school climate can directly influence the relationships and social interactions among students while also contributing to the development of socio-emotional skills. Simultaneously, the school climate depends on these said skills. Despite this close relationship, emotional education and school climate improvement programmes have traditionally been studied separately. This study describes and evaluates the effectiveness of a new programme, OKAPI (Organisation, Cooperation, Positive Environment, Participation and Emotional Intelligence), for the development of socio-emotional skills and the improvement of classroom climate for primary school students using a cooperative learning methodology. The total sample comprised 86 students aged 9–11 years. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures with a control group was used. The results show that the program’s implementation is effective both for the improvement of the classroom climate and the acquisition of training in the field of emotional intelligence, as well as for the development of cooperative competences. Among the fundamental pillars of the OKAPI programme are its simplicity and transversality, so that teachers are responsible for its application and monitoring; thus, the programme becomes an agent of change in their educational practice.

The effect of COVID-19 on schoolteachers' emotional reactions and mental health: longitudinal results from the CLASS study

Purpose

We investigated schoolteachers’ emotional reactions to COVID-19 and mental health during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We further analyzed if teachers, who belonged to a COVID-19 risk group, had more emotional reactions and poorer mental health than “non-risk” groups.

Methods

We collected questionnaire data in May, June, and November–December 2020 and used data from 2665 teachers at public schools (871 individuals participated in all three surveys). Participants reported their fear of infection, fear of transmission of infection to their home or pupils, perceived burnout and stress, and worries about their ability to manage the working conditions. We included information about COVID-19 risk group status, gender, age, organization of teaching (physical presence or remote teaching), and the pupils’ grade. We estimated prevalence ratios and took repeated measures into account.

Results

Emotional reactions and poor mental health increased significantly with 27–84% from May to November–December 2020. Teachers, who were particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of COVID-19, had the highest prevalence of fear of infection and poor mental health.

Conclusion

Teachers play a crucial role in a society’s response to a pandemic. Yet, the dual role of teaching and virus control along with concerns regarding the health consequences of an infection may contribute to the observed increase in emotional reactions to COVID-19 and poor mental health.

Teaching Socio-Emotional Competencies Among Primary School Students: Improving Conflict Resolution and Promoting Democratic Co-existence in Schools

Teaching socio-emotional skills among primary school students is the key to creating a climate of cooperation in classrooms and reducing disruptive or aggressive behaviors among students. The primary goal of this research is to present an educational proposal for imparting socio-emotional competencies among primary school students. We attempt to impart socio-emotional competencies based on: (1) fostering self-knowledge, self-esteem, and respect for others among students; (2) developing behaviors that allow them to perceive and express feelings and self-regulating emotions; and (3) developing assertive communication skills aimed at improving conflict resolution. This program has been designed in such a way that it is implemented throughout the academic year by organizing bi-monthly sessions of 45 min each, held until the completion of 15 sessions. The sample consists of 100 students in the third grade, with the control and experimental groups having an equal number of students (50 each). The instruments used for this research are: (a) BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (Youth Version [BarOn EQ-i:YV]): used for measuring emotional and social functioning; (b) the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY): used for assessing social skills; and (c) Questionnaire for the Assessment of School Violence in Preschool and Primary School Questionnaire. To check the effectiveness of the educational intervention, a quasi-experimental design, along with pretest-posttest control group design, is used in accordance with the general linear model. Its effectiveness is also checked using repeated measures analysis of variance. The results show that the program is useful in preventing violent behaviors in the educational field and promoting the development of socio-emotional skills among third grade students. Finally, the applicability of the program to other educational contexts is discussed to enhance students' personal development and decrease the levels of violence found in primary school.

Teaching during the Pandemic: A Comparison in Psychological Wellbeing among Smart Working Professions

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020, the Italian population was forced into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. The restrictive measures imposed forced many organizations and workers to work through online platforms and no longer in-person. Smart working, enjoyed by some workers for its flexibility, affected several professional categories. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the psychological variables related to four groups of professional categories (practitioners, managers, executive employees, teachers), particularly the teachers group. Methods: A total sample of 628 individuals was recruited through a random probability sample across Italy. Due to the lockdown, an online questionnaire was developed; several validated scales were chosen, and some ad hoc constructed items related to the smart working experience were included. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the four groups of examined smart workers. Conclusions: All workers have had to readjust to this new way of working, but our results show that teachers were the most affected, both in the perception of their psychological well-being and in the management of the smart working mode.

A comprehensive review and update on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): what do we know now in 2021?

It has been more than a year since the new virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China. The disease it causes was named Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and on 11 March 2020 it was declared a pandemic. As the virus continues to spread, the number of patients worldwide has already crossed the 100 million mark with more than 2 million deaths. We sought to provide an update on the progress made in identifying the virus, its pathophysiology, risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and smoking, as well as various methods of treatment. Our review also provided an overview of the different vaccines.

Effect of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Intervention on Well-Being, Resilience and Burnout of Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on teachers professional and personal lives. Our primary aim was to assess the effect of a blended Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR), an emerging mindfulness and cognitive reframing intervention on teacher's well-being. Our secondary aims were to assess the effect of IBSR on resilience, burnout, mindfulness, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was a prospective controlled trial with an intervention group (N = 35) and a comparison control group (N = 32). The intervention took place in the Jerusalem District throughout the school year from November 2019 to May 2020. The sessions were conducted in blended learning that included traditional learning (face-to-face) and online learning. Data was analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: IBSR blended intervention enhanced the resilience and improved the subjective and psychological well-being of teachers in spite of the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first lockdown in Israel. Simultaneously the control group suffered from enhanced burnout levels and a decline in psychological and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Implementation of IBSR blended intervention during the school year may benefit teachers' well-being and ability to flourish, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.