Investigating the Relationships between COVID-19 Quality of Life, Loneliness, Happiness, and Internet Addiction among K-12 Teachers and School Administrators-A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Characteristics of K-12 Teachers Considering Leaving Due to COVID-19 and for Other Reasons

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has had drastic effects on K-12 teachers. Researchers partnered with a teacher advisory board to identify factors associated with K-12 teachers' consideration of leaving teaching during Fall 2020.

METHODS

A web-based survey focused on teachers' working experiences was emailed to school union membership listservs in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. A logistic regression model was developed to identify working conditions associated with teachers considering leaving the profession.

RESULTS

Among 5873 K-12 teachers, 27% (n = 1319) were considering leaving the profession either because of COVID-19 (10%), for other reasons (6%) or were undecided (11%). Teachers who were midcareer, having taught 6-10 years, who perceived less supervisor support, whose job duties had changed significantly, who were dissatisfied with the COVID-19 related decision-making, who reported poor or fair mental health, and who were mostly or extremely afraid that a household member would get COVID-19 had higher odds of considering leaving teaching or being undecided about future career plans.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE AND EQUITY

Understanding factors influencing teachers' career decisions will help school leaders improve teacher retention amid challenging circumstances.

CONCLUSION

In this study in 3 midwestern US states, limited supervisor support, significant job duty change, dissatisfaction with COVID-19-related decision-making, poor or fair mental health, and fear that a household member would get COVID-19 were associated with teachers' consideration of leaving the profession or being undecided about future career plans.

Relationship between loneliness and internet addiction: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

In the digital age, the Internet has become integrated into all aspects of people's work, study, entertainment, and other activities, leading to a dramatic increase in the frequency of Internet use. However, excessive Internet use has negative effects on the body, psychology, and many other aspects. This study aims to systematically analyze the research findings on the relationship between loneliness and Internet addiction to obtain a more objective, comprehensive effect size.

METHODS

This study employed a comprehensive meta-analysis of empirical research conducted over the past two decades to investigate the relationship between loneliness and Internet addiction, with a focus on the moderating variables influencing this relationship. This meta-analysis adopted a unique approach by categorizing moderating variables into two distinct groups: the objective characteristics of research subjects and the subjective characteristics of researchers. It sheds light on the multifaceted factors that influence the relationship between loneliness and Internet addiction.

RESULTS

A literature search in web of science yielded 32 independent effect sizes involving 35,623 subjects. Heterogeneity testing indicated that a random effects model was appropriate. A funnel plot and Begg and Mazumdar's rank correlation test revealed no publication bias in this meta-analysis. Following the effect size test, it was evident that loneliness was significantly and positively correlated with Internet addiction (r = 0.291, p < 0.001). The moderating effect analysis showed that objective characteristics significantly affected the relationship. However, subjective characteristics did not affect the relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed a moderately positive correlation between loneliness and Internet addiction. Moreover, this correlation's strength was found to be influenced by various factors, including gender, age, grade, and the region of the subjects. However, it was not affected by variables such as the measurement tool, research design, or research year (whether before or after COVID-19).

The Relationship of Mobile-Based Social Network Addiction and Family Communication Patterns, with Behavioral Problems in Secondary School Students: The Mediating Role of Emotional Self-Regulation

Background

New technologies offer endless possibilities for students and schools, but as the use of smartphones increases, psychological and behavioral problems may also increase.

Objective

To investigate the relationship of mobile-based social network addiction and family communication patterns on the one hand, and behavioral problems in students on the other, with a focus on the mediating role of emotional self-regulation.

Design

This study used a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional design. The participants were 384 students (female/male: 226/168; mean age: 16 ± 1.98) in secondary high schools in Tehran in the academic year 2022-2023. The students were selected using convenience sampling. The data were collected online using the Revised Family Communication Pattern Scale (1994), Mobile-Based Social Network Addiction Questionnaire (2016), Child Behavior Checklist - Adolescent Version (2001), and the Affective Style Questionnaire (2010). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with SPSS-25 and AMOS-24 statistical software.

Results

The study showed that emotional self-regulation plays a mediating role in the relationship between mobile-based social network addiction and internalized and externalized behavioral problems (P ≤ .05). The indirect effect of conversation orientation on internalized and externalized behavioral problems mediated by emotional self-regulation was not significant, but the indirect effect of conformity orientation on internalized and externalized behavioral problems with the mediation of emotional self-regulation was significant (P ≤ .05).

Conclusion

Based on the findings, it is suggested that school officials and parents should develop emotional self-regulation and communication skills in students and parenting skills in their parents to prevent and reduce potential harm such as internet addiction and behavioral problems in students.

Loneliness and happiness in the face of the COVID-19 lockdown: Examining the pathways through somatic symptoms and psychological distress

Studies show that loneliness was higher during the pandemic than in the pre-pandemic periods, with negative consequences on individual happiness. This study extends current knowledge by investigating the indirect effects of somatic symptoms and psychological distress in the loneliness-happiness relationship during the COVID-19 lockdown. The cross-sectional sample comprises 538 Nigerian adults (Meanage = 36.48 ± 12.03) with 43% females. Data were collected using structured self-report instruments and subjected to path analyses in SPSS AMOS. Results showed that loneliness and happiness were negatively related. Loneliness and happiness were indirectly related through the successive association between somatic symptoms and psychological distress. Specifically, greater loneliness was associated with increased somatic symptoms, which in turn were associated with greater psychological distress and reduced happiness levels. Clinicians can manage the decline in happiness from loneliness during the pandemic lockdown by administering treatments that mitigate somatic symptoms and psychological distress in concerned clients.

Knowledge and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination in Sudan: A cross-sectional study

Background

Vaccines are an essential part of public health interventions to mitigate the devastating health and non-health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the fact that Sudan launched the COVID-19 vaccination program in March 2021, only 10% of the population received their two primary doses of vaccines by the end of May 2022. This delayed uptake of vaccines obviously warrants investigation. Therefore, we have conducted this study to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and acceptance of the general population in Sudan toward COVID-19 vaccines.

Methodology

A descriptive cross-sectional community-based study. The data were collected using an electronic questionnaire from 403 individuals living in Khartoum, Sudan. The data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), and data analysis was performed using appropriate tests.

Results

51% of the participants were found to have sufficient knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine, and the knowledge level is higher among those educated beyond the secondary school and those who were employed. Among those unvaccinated, only 47% of the participants expressed their intention to take the vaccine when offered to them. The major reason for not trusting the vaccine is safety concerns expressed by 65.5% of the unvaccinated.

Conclusion

Higher education levels and employment were associated with an increase in sufficient knowledge about the vaccine in around half of the participants. However, most of participants had not taken the vaccine at the time of the study, and the trust in vaccines is not high. Effective interventions by the health authorities are needed to address these issues in order to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccination program in Sudan.

Characteristics of students who require elementary school counselors' support owing to developmental disorders

Awareness and support for developmental disorders are increasing in Japan. In the education field, support from school counselors for students with developmental disorders and their roles and responsibilities in elementary schools are on the rise. However, identifying and addressing specific conditions and developmental disorders that require school counselors' attention are not clearly planned. Therefore, this study explored the characteristics of students who require elementary school counselors' support owing to developmental disorders. The participants included 17 school counselors who were experienced in working at elementary schools. Through semi-structured interviews, 30 cases were discussed, examined, and categorized based on "case characteristics," "classification of the main complaint," "basic information on the diagnosis," and "type of support." The analysis included detailed viewpoints of 13 school counselors, a code frequency table, and contrast tables, focusing on the main complaint and diagnosis. Regarding the children whose main complaint was "school refusal," eight out of nine cases were in the fourth grade or above, with several cases of suspected developmental disorders or autism spectrum disorder. The number of children with comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, including suspected cases, seemed to be higher, especially in Grades 3-5. The study highlighted the importance of assessing students' developmental characteristics related to the main complaint in the background of a secondary problem. Furthermore, early detection and interventions should be conducted in the first and second grades.

Student adjustment during Covid-19 pandemic: Exploring the moderating role of university support

The study investigates the moderating effect of university support on the association between fear of Cov19 and student adjustment including (a) academic; (b) psychological; and (c) social adjustment. A total of 592 students took part in the research by completing self-reported questionnaire. The respondents were chosen using a multi-stage sampling technique. The data was processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24 and SEM-PLS, respectively. Results reveal fear of Cov19 negatively predict student's academic, psychological, and social adjustment. University support positively predicts student's academic, psychological, and social adjustment and further mitigate the impact of fear of Cov19 on students' academic, psychological, and social adjustment. This is the first study to examine university support as a moderator between fear of Cov19 and three dimensions of students' adjustment.

Mediating and moderating effects of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between social media addiction and phubbing

Presently, social media is widely used worldwide among different populations. Therefore, phubbing rapidly became a popular phenomenon in our daily life. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism and interaction between social media use and phubbing. Therefore, this research examines the mediating and moderating role of cognitive flexibility in the association between social media addiction and phubbing. Participants were 385 university students (280 females) studying at a state university in eastern Turkey and completed the self-reported measures of cognitive flexibility, social media addiction, and phubbing. The results showed that cognitive flexibility mediated and moderated the effect of social media addiction on phubbing. These findings may contribute to the discussion around the psychological consequences of using social media alongside increasing awareness about factors affecting and explaining the association between social media use and phubbing, which have important implications for research and practice.

An Empirical Study on the Use of Digital Technologies to Achieve Cost-Effectiveness in Healthcare Management

Objectives: Healthcare cost reduction is one of the major challenges of the current era. This study was based on the general system theory-based view to assess the significance of sensing communication technologies and processing actuation technologies in improving healthcare quality, leading to cost reduction. Moreover, the contingent rule of healthcare supply chain management in enhancing the influence of improved quality on healthcare cost reduction was also empirically tested. Methods: The sample of the study comprised 337 middle and senior healthcare managers employed in various government and private hospitals and health institutions in Jakarta, Indonesia. The administrative departments of each hospital and health institution was visited to take their consent to conduct this survey at their clinical and non-clinical departments. The data collected was analyzed using SmartPLS ver. 4 software. Results: Results reveal a significant direct and indirect influence of sensing communication technologies and processing actuation technologies on achieving cost-effectiveness in the healthcare sector, in the presence of perceived quality improvement as a mediator. However, the strength of the associations varied and was based on highly reliable and familiar nature of sensing communication technologies compared to processing actuation technologies which were emerging and gaining popularity in recent years. Conclusion: Considering the healthcare cost as a critical factor based on limited resources in emerging economies, healthcare institutions/centers should use digital technologies to achieve cost-effectiveness for providing healthcare facilities in the industry 4.0 era.

Remote Learning in Higher Education: Evidence from Poland

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a sudden transformation at universities. The previous mode of teaching has been replaced by remote education, the effectiveness of which depends, among other things, on the technological infrastructure of universities and the digital competence of lecturers and students. The main objective of this study is to evaluate remote learning in higher education from the students' point of view. The uniqueness of the present research approach lies in the identification of four dimensions (socio-emotional, developmental, time-financial, and negative attitude) of students' evaluation of remote learning in higher education. The survey was conducted on 999 students studying remotely, including 518 women and 481 men. Most of the students surveyed had been studying remotely for 1-2 years and were studying full-time for their first degree. The research tool consisted of 16 mixed survey questions. Six of them were related to sociodemographic factors (including those related to the respondents' education), and eight were related to their experiences with and opinions about remote education, respectively. The remaining two questions were used to collect respondents' evaluations of the degree of importance to them of various advantages and disadvantages of remote education. The research showed that among the advantages of remote learning for students, the most important are saving time, the possibility of studying at a university far from home (another city, another country), the possibility of combining work and study, and reduced commuting costs. On the other hand, the disadvantages of remote learning of greatest importance to students include the loss of social ties due to lack of contact with peers, feelings of fatigue resulting from excessive use of information and communication tools, and greater susceptibility to various forms of distraction. In addition, the shape of students' education was relevant to the different dimensions of their evaluation of remote learning in higher education. The social-emotional size of remote learning is more important for students who study remotely in a blended mode (compared to uniform). The developmental dimension is essential for students who participate in remote learning activities for longer during the day. In addition, a more extended period of remote learning promotes the greater importance of the time-financial dimension when evaluating remote knowledge.

Evaluating a cross-lagged panel model between problematic internet use and psychological distress and cross-level mediation of school administrator support on problematic internet use: The serial mediating role of psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress

Background

To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, many teachers across the globe, including teachers in China, were required to teach online. This shift to online teaching can easily result in psychological need thwarting (PNT) of teachers' psychological basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), leaving them vulnerable to negative psychological outcomes. Resulting negative emotional state may lead to problematic internet use (PIU), which can lead to further psychological distress, forming a vicious cycle.

Methods

The present study was conducted using a cross-lagged panel model (with longitudinal data) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) (with cross-sectional data). The aims were to investigate (i) the reciprocal relationships between two specific forms of PIU [problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic gaming (PG)] and psychological distress among schoolteachers, and (ii) the influence of administrators' support on schoolteachers' PIU through a cross-level serial mediation model (PNT of online teaching was the first mediator and psychological distress was the second mediator affected by PNT of online teaching). Primary and secondary schoolteachers (N = 980; mean age = 34.76; 82.90% females) participated in two surveys (Time 1: mid-November 2021; Time 2: early-January 2022).

Results

Results indicated that (i) high psychological distress at Time 1 was associated with increased levels of PSMU and PG at Time 2. Inversely, PG at Time 1 was associated with increased psychological distress at Time 2, although PSMU at Time 1 did not have a significant influence on psychological distress at Time 2; (ii) during Time 1, increased administrative support contributed to alleviating teachers' psychological needs thwarting of online teaching, thereby lowering their psychological distress which, in turn, resulted in a decrease in PG.

Conclusion

PG had a stronger negative influence on teachers' psychological distress than PSMU. To relieve teachers' PG, administrative support can alleviate teachers' psychological needs thwarting of online teaching and psychological distress. Based on this finding, school managers must consider effective ways to support teachers during mandatory online teaching.

COVID-19 and the Adaptive Role of Educators: The Impact of Digital Literacy and Psychological Well-Being on Education—A PLS-SEM Approach

Mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic raised mental health consequences. This paper examines the triangulation of Digital Literacy (DL), psychological well-being, and effectiveness of remote teaching and learning during the pandemic. Survey responses collected from 518 schoolteachers in Sri Lanka are analyzed with Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. Results indicate that Remote Education (RE) has twisted a stressful life for educators. DL negatively affects the psychological well-being of the teacher. The effectiveness of teaching and learning and teacher engagement depends upon their DL level. Educators’ stress and depression status mediate the outcome of remote teaching and learning mode. Moreover, digital skills count more than the accumulated teaching experience. We emphasize the adaptive role of the teacher for sustainable digital education. The results indicate that augmented education success could be obtained by investing in digital competence. It suggests that upgrading DL is an urgent role and alarms the policymakers and education managers to mitigate the potential mental health and social capital crisis.

Social media use in higher education: Building a structural equation model for student satisfaction and performance

Social media utilization at the student-level has become more prevalent contemporary higher education. Hence, this study is aimed at developing a specific model, along with the behavioral intention to use, to explore educational quality, actual social media use, and task-technology fit that affects student satisfaction and performance impact through examining the synergies of constructivism, user acceptance and usage of information technology, and technology acceptance. To test, a survey was administered to 430 students across five Malaysian universities. Through structural equation modeling, findings indicate that to improve student satisfaction and student performance through embedded social media, students need to have opportunities to collaborate on learning, have easy access to social media, perceive such use to be easy, and have aligned expectation on performance and effort. Interestingly, the actual social media use, was the only variable in the model that did not predict student satisfaction, despite its role in predicting student performance. The study highlights that constructivist learning, as well as task-technology fit over social media, enhances the students' learning experience and enables knowledge sharing and dissemination. The effect of using social media on student satisfaction and academic performance highlights that all students think that it is adequate for their instructors to improve their usage of social media tools. Therefore, we advocate learners and students employing social media for academic purposes with the help of lecturers at higher teaching organizations and institutions.

Fatty Liver Change in Korean Adults in a Systematic Social Distancing System Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Analysis

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Korean government implemented policies including the systematic social distancing (SSD) system which started on 28 June 2020. The present study investigated the development and aggravation of fatty liver measured using ultrasonography during the transition period (from pre-SSD to SSD) compared to the fatty liver changes during the pre-SSD period. Changes in fatty liver and liver enzymes were assessed in different groups stratified by alcohol consumption. Our retrospective cohort analysis included 5668 participants who underwent health checkups at 13 university hospitals during the SSD period and two or more checkups before the SSD period. Fatty liver developed and aggravated more in the transition period (13.6% development and 12.0% aggravation) than in the pre-SSD period (10.8% development and 10.1% aggravation) in the alcohol consumption group. This finding was more prominent in women than in men. Abnormal alanine transaminase levels were more often developed in the transition period than in the pre-SSD period, especially in men (11.1% vs. 8.6% in each period). In conclusion, the SSD system may contribute to fatty liver changes in individuals who regularly consume alcohol. Further research of the post-pandemic period is needed to assess long-term changes in fatty liver disease.

Implementation of Covid-19 Protection Protocols and it’s Implication on Learning & Teaching in Public Schools

This study aimed to investigate the implementation of COVID-19 protection protocols and its implication on teaching –learning process in schools of Werabe administrative town. A concurrent embedded research design and mixed approach were used to carry out the current study and collect data in that order. To conduct the study, 140 teachers, 12 principals, and 6 supervisors were selected by simple random, purposive, and availability sampling techniques respectively. To gather the data, a questionnaire, semi-structured interview, observation checklist, focus group discussion, and document analysis were used. The analysis of quantitative data was carried out by using mean and multiple regressions, while qualitative data was analysed through thematic description and word narration. The results showed that COVID-19 protection protocols were not strictly implemented as per the standards set by both Ministry of Education and the World Health Organization. In addition, the study exposed school community-related factors like reluctance in keeping physical distancing (mean = 4.28, Beta = 0.29, p < 0.05) and resource-related factors like shortage of thermometer (mean = 2.85, Beta = 0.25, p < 0.05) are significantly affecting the implementation of COVID-19 protection protocols. The findings further indicated that the school-community related and the resource-related factors directly affected the classroom teaching-learning process, render students’ families and education sectors for additional financial expenses. Therefore, encouraging communication and coordination among education actors, families, learners, and health communities need to be re-strengthened, and the implementation of protection protocols has to be enforced.

Assessing the Relationships between Internet Addiction, Depression, COVID-19-Related Fear, Anxiety, and Suspicion among Graduate Students in Educational Administration: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

This study aims to examine the relationships between Internet addiction, depression, COVID-19-related fear, anxiety, and suspicion in graduate students. A total of 482 students pursuing a master’s degree in educational administration participated in the study, which was designed according to the relational survey model. The data of the study were collected using online questionnaires, and the proposed hypotheses were tested and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the study revealed that COVID-19-related suspicion positively and significantly predicted COVID-19-related fear and anxiety. In this context, the increased suspicion of graduate students due to COVID-19 also increased their fear and COVID-19-related anxiety, and this increased the possibility that they would exhibit depressive behaviors. However, a positive and significant relationship was found between COVID-19-related suspicion and depression. This result confirms that the increased suspicion of the participant students due to COVID-19 led to an increase in their depression scores. SEM results have shown a positive relationship between fear and anxiety related to COVID-19 and Internet addiction, and that the increase in students’ anxiety and fear levels also increases their Internet addiction levels. In addition, the results of the study revealed that depression has a negligible indirect effect on the relationship between COVID-19-related fear, anxiety, and suspicion and Internet addiction. In conclusion, the proposed hypothetical model is confirmed after having examined the relationships among depression, Internet addiction, COVID-19-related fear and anxiety, and suspicion.

Credibility and Involvement of Social Media in Education-Recommendations for Mitigating the Negative Effects of the Pandemic among High School Students

In the context of considerations on the potential attenuation of the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with the use of credible social media in online education during a pandemic, the subject of our own research was the fulfillment of two goals. The main research goals were to identify, categorize, and evaluate the possibilities of using social media in online education during the pandemic from the perspective of selected teachers and students from secondary schools in Slovakia. The research methods of the first phase (qualitative) of the research involved brainstorming among nine secondary school teachers. The second research phase (quantitative) used a questionnaire, which was completed by 102 high school students from all over Slovakia. The collection of both quantitative and qualitative data was used in this research. The research results revealed the most representative opinions of teachers on the current and real possibilities of engaging credible social media in online education and the views of high school students on their desired use and involvement of social media in online education. The intersection of the two findings presents a picture of the possibilities of using credible social media in online education, which can help maintain students’ interest in online education during a pandemic. Based on these findings, it can be stated that the opinions identified in the research group of teachers correspond to a large extent with the desired use of social media in education from the perspective of students. In addition, however, students would welcome more opportunities to use and engage social media in today’s online education. The result of this research is an analysis of social media patterns applied to online education, which are of greater interest to students and could act as elements for reducing the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, i.e., six forms of online education and 24 educational activities that could contribute, inter alia, to mitigating the different negative effects of the pandemic among youth generation. The findings also benefit from the presentation of many specific options and recommendations for the use of social media in online education during a pandemic.