Professional Crisis or Temporary Burnout? Teacher’s Experiences Towards the End of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Various studies were conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic on teachers’ experiences and feelings during the abrupt shift to remote learning; however, the prolonged effects of the pandemic on teachers in Israel have not been examined. The present study was conducted towards the end of the pandemic, during the last (and, so far, final) wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Israel. This wave was characterized by the resumption of in-person classroom teaching or hybrid teaching and refraining from imposing lockdowns. For this study, interviews were conducted with 58 elementary school teachers. Analysis of the interviews reveals a profound rupture in the teachers’ sense of efficacy, stemming from numerous changes, an upsurge in emotional and social problems among children, and teachers’ skills being only partially suited to the situation. As stated by the teachers, it seems that role frustration and a rising tendency to leave the education system express the need for long-term change in the teaching profession. An analysis of findings is provided from the perspective of theories of organizational engagement and employee competence. Recommendations are proposed concerning teachers’ future professional development processes.