Tellmi explores the Impact of Covid-19 and Remote Learning on Teacher Mental Health in the UK
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a widespread impact on the entire education system. Teachers have had to adapt to a new way of teaching, and consequently, a new way of life. Whilst some teachers have continued in-person teaching for the children of key workers, most have had to adjust to remote learning methods. This has had profound implications for the mental health of both teachers and students alike, especially with limitations on social contact (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) making it harder to seek support. This Tellmi report discusses the ways in which Covid-19 has impacted the mental health of teachers in the UK, exploring both its detrimental and positive aspects, as well as effects of remote teaching.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a widespread impact on the entire education system. Teachers have had to adapt to a new way of teaching, and consequently, a new way of life. Whilst some teachers have continued in-person teaching for the children of key workers, most have had to adjust to remote learning methods. This has had profound implications for the mental health of both teachers and students alike, especially with limitations on social contact (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) making it harder to seek support. This report discusses the ways in which Covid-19 has impacted the mental health of teachers in the UK, exploring both its detrimental and positive aspects, as well as effects of remote teaching.
Timeline of Anxiety
Research by Allen, Jerrim & Sims (2020) used data from the Teacher Tapp survey app. Participants were a self-selecting group of teachers (including primary, secondary and school leaders) who were sent three short questions about teachers’ work-related anxiety each Tuesday at 3:30pm throughout the 2019/2020 academic year.
The results of the study found that work-related anxiety peaked in the week before school closures (beginning 17th March 2020) as staff managed increased absences, emergency closures and widespread uncertainty. This peak was amplified for head teachers, with the percentage reporting very high work-related anxiety increasing from 15% to 18% in a single week.
However, by the following week, state-school teachers were reporting similar to pre-pandemic levels of work-related anxiety, and levels remained low (slightly below pre-Covid levels) throughout April.
Work-related anxiety peaked again in mid-June, particularly for head-teachers . This coincided with the time when the government announced the reopening of some primary schools to reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils. State school teachers experienced a slight increase in work-relaxed anxiety at this point, however not significantly above pre-pandemic levels.
As the 2020/21 academic year began, private and state school teachers' anxiety increased again, rising from 7% and 13% during the term and to 17% and 19% during the holiday.
The stress levels of head teachers showed less pronounced peaks and troughs in stress levels, with levels remaining high even in the holiday time. This is thought to be a result of the new responsibilities head teachers were dealing with, and an increased duty of care during the pandemic. More than one in five (21%) headteachers expressed that they are now more likely to seek to leave the profession when asked on 24th of June 2020, showing the damaging effects of the changes to education, on the mental health of headteachers (Allen, Jerrim & Sims, 2020).
The challenges of remote Learning
As working from home became the new normal for the majority (58%) of education professionals , remote learning became increasingly common (Education Support, 2020).
Those working from home found it particularly difficult to ensure students completed their work, with 48% of education professionals working from home stating that it is one of the five biggest challenges they face. The other main challenges are dealing with a lack of social contact, a lack of timely government and maintaining a work-life balance, highlighting the variety of challenges that remote learning presents (Education Support, 2020).
Education professionals’ opinion on working from home is very mixed, as highlighted by qualitative reports. Some members of staff described the benefits of not having to commute to work, including saving fuel costs and having more time to spend with family and to sleep (Education Support, 2020). On the other hand, some staff compared the experience to being ‘on call 24/7’, making it difficult to distinguish between home and work-life (Education Support, 2020).
Overall Impact of Covid-19 on Mental Health and Wellbeing (Education Support, 2020)
Studies of education professionals show that for the majority, Covid-19 and its effects had a detrimental impact on mental health. Depending on the study, the figure varies between 50% and 70% of those who feel that Covid-19 negatively impacted mental health.However, a smaller (between 18% and 30%) subsection of teachers found that it positively impacted psychological health.
Measures such as the ‘Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale’ showed no significant difference between pre-pandemic and lockdown (April 2020) levels of wellbeing. However this does not account for changes in different aspects of wellbeing. For example, teachers reported feeling more energetic and relaxed in April 2020, than October 2019, however they also felt less useful and less optimistic about the future . Due to the high number of factors impacting mental health during unprecedented times, it is difficult to identify specific causes of changes in wellbeing. This makes qualitative research particularly valuable.
The specific effect of Lockdown (Kim & Asbury, 2020)
The initial impact (first 5-6 weeks) of the UK lockdown on state school teachers was studied by Kim & Asbury (2020). Teachers were asked to recall 3 main elements of their experiences of the first 5-6 weeks of the UK lockdown: a low point, a high point and a turning point. Then, a reflexive thematic analysis was carried out on the results of the semi-structured interview.
This research identified 6 main themes: uncertainty, finding a way, worry for the vulnerable, importance of relationships, teacher identity and reflections.
The theme of uncertainty was centred around the government’s lockdown, and how this would impact staff and children in both the short and long term. Multiple participants described the experience as if ‘a rug had been pulled from underneath’ them, emphasising the suddenness of the experience and the lack of support for teachers at this time.
Finding a way focuses on the way in which after the initial uncertainty, teachers and students alike adjusted to remote teaching and a new way of life. In many cases, adjustment was a continuous process which required teachers to promote student engagement as well as supporting wellbeing at a difficult time.
Thirdly, worry for the vulnerable was expressed by almost every staff member. Teacher’s expressed concern for vulnerable students, such as those unsafe in their own homes, particularly as they are accustomed to being able to check in regularly with these students. Participants also described how Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and organisations providing free school meals did not have sufficient support, which contributed to their anxiety and a feeling of powerlessness. There was a sense of agreement that the pandemic was bringing pre-existing social issues to light, rather than causing them.
The importance of relationships encompasses both the highs and lows of lockdown. Teachers expressed sadness at the sudden ending of relationships with pupils in years 6, 11 and 13 as well as difficult relationships with disengaged pupils and difficult relationships with some parents. Contrary to this, relationships provided protection and relief during lockdown for many. Both pupil and family relationships were highly valued, however professional relationships were particularly important, often developing into friendships and forming a vital part of teachers’ support systems.
Staff often struggled with their teacher identity due to changes in routine as well as being distanced from the classroom and pupils which they care for. Furthermore, teachers frequently recalled how their role felt as if it had changed from being a teacher to simply ‘providing resources for students’, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding pupils’ exam grades.
Lastly, reflections focuses on the ways in which the experience of lockdown has shaped teachers’ current roles, such as being less busy and less pressured, as well as having additional time to plan for the next academic year. Teacher’s also experienced more freedom and flexibility in their teaching. However, accounts often included downsides such as the blurring of their work-life balance and not having the chance to take breaks. These challenges have led many teachers to reflect on their experiences and how they will shape their future teaching, such as integrating a greater understanding of the issues pupils face to give a more holistic approach to teaching.
Specific effect on learning (Sharp et al., 2020)
Research by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) quantified the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on teaching. Almost all teachers (98%) reported that their pupils were behind where they would normally expect them to be in their curriculum learning at the end of the 2019/20 school year, with teachers on average only covering 66% of the usual curriculum.
However, of particular concern is the differences between specific groups. Whilst 78% of teachers felt that both boys and girls are equally behind typical expectations, a minority (21%) consider boys to have fallen further behind (Sharp et al., 2020). Of greater consensus was the difference between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, with 61% reporting that the learning gap had widened. Differences between schools may further increase the differences between disadvantaged groups and their peers - with teachers in the most deprived schools more than 3x more likely to report that pupils are more than 4 months behind on learning (53% compared to 15%)
Catching up (Education Support & YouGov online survey (2020)
The need for catch-up has significant implications for the wellbeing of both students and particularly teachers, as highlighted by the Teacher Wellbeing Index produced by Education Support (2020) and the Education Support & YouGov online survey (2020). The main difference between these two reports is the timing. The data for the first mentioned report was produced in June/July 2020, a lockdown period, whereas the latter was collected in October 2020, during school time.
The percentage of education professionals describing themselves as stressed increased from 62% in June/July to 84% in October, with even greater percentages for senior leaders. Workload was a particular stressor for many, with 65% of teachers citing workload as the main reason for considering leaving their job (Education Support, 2020).
A qualitative account described how ‘school leaders are forced to choose between...catch-up sessions...classroom deep cleaning, or staff wellbeing’ due to budget restrictions’ (Education Support, 2020).
Wellbeing difficulties are exacerbated by barriers preventing education professionals seeking support; 57% of education professionals do not feel that they can share mental health issues or significant stress with their employer, citing stigma and the risk of being perceived negatively or as weak as the reason. This is particularly concerning as 32% of education professionals report symptoms of depression, highlighting a need for additional wellbeing support for teachers.
Gender Differences (Allen, Jerrim & Sims, 2020; Education Support, 2020)
Changes in mental health over the Covid-19 pandemic are similar between men and women, however women show consistently higher levels of work-related anxiety. During the pandemic, women with children showed the highest anxiety levels of any group (Allen, Jerrim & Sims, 2020). Maintaining a work-life of balance was cited as one of the main challenges for 36% of female staff compared to 25% of male staff (Education Support, 2020).This suggests that gender differences in wellbeing during COVID were a result of changes to family-life rather than teaching,. Remote learning may have made it more difficult to maintain a work-life balance, therefore leading to a decline in overall wellbeing.
Conclusion
The way in which people, particularly teachers, have responded to the Covid-19 pandemic varies greatly, both across different demographics and across different timepoints.
Whilst remote learning is not the only reason for many education professionals experiencing declining mental health during the pandemic, it may be a driving force.
Restrictions on social contact have confounded these issues, making it more difficult for teachers to seek support at a time when they are dealing with significant anxiety, related to changes in both personal and work-life.
Although mental health appears to have returned to pre-pandemic levels, additional support should be given to both staff and students who are dealing with novel changes in education.