Teachers’ wellbeing during times of change and disruption

Abstract

Teachers are the most important in-school factor influencing student academic achievement and satisfaction (Hattie & Yates, 2014) and during times of crises, like the global COVID-19 pandemic, the work of teachers is more critical than ever. Teachers’ wellbeing has gradually emerged as a growing concern. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schooling was being realised, Viac and Fraser’s (2020) OECD Education Working Paper, A teachers’ well-being: A framework for data collection and analysis, alerted that this concern for teachers’ wellbeing requires urgent attention to better understand its effects on teaching and learning. This chapter discusses the thoughts, feelings and impact on the wellbeing of teachers as they plan for and implement effective teaching and learning in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion takes an ecological perspective to show that teachers’ work and their wellbeing exists across many levels, and highlights the importance of teachers’ roles in supporting future student learning during times of disruption.