The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preschool teachers’ identity

Abstract

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has affected different aspects of teachers’ personal and professional lives, including their teaching skills and their relationships with each other and the children they teach. This study investigated the effects of COVID-19 on preschool teachers’ identity in a city in South East Turkey between September and October 2020. It aimed to understand how the teachers coped with the situation and how they feel about their personal and professional lives in the wake of the pandemic. The study was qualitative and used semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. The participants included 29 preschool teachers (one male and 28 female). Three main themes emerged from the data: emotional bonds, improving professional knowledge and taking on more responsibilities. The findings indicated that the participating teachers faced challenges in establishing emotional bonds with children, and they felt that a vital part of their profession was missing. The findings demonstrate that the teachers considered the pandemic as an opportunity to revise and improve their professional knowledge of child development and their use of technology in teaching.