Intense public pressure on teachers to 'get back to school' during the COVID-19 lockdowns deepened an already widespread sense that they were undervalued, and left some actively rethinking their careers, research shows.
University of CambridgeNov 8 2024 Intense public pressure on teachers to "get back to school" during the COVID-19 lockdowns deepened an already widespread sense that they were undervalued, and left some actively rethinking their careers, research shows.
In reality, teachers were shouldering higher workloads as they adjusted to ever-changing government guidance. The researchers describe the aggregate effects of their public portrayal as "psychologically costly" and suggest it may have worsened a well-documented retention crisis in the profession. The study arose from an earlier research project, 'Being a teacher in England during the COVID-19 pandemic' led by Dr Lisa Kim from the University of York. In it, researchers monitored a sample of 24 teachers, who were interviewed seven times between April 2020 - just after schools first closed - and July 2022. The mental health of the participants was found to have declined in that time.
The analysis focused on front page headlines because they reach a large audience, comprising both newspaper buyers and a 'passing' readership. Aside from stories about the handling of A-Levels, education made big headlines during the build-up to schools reopening in spring 2020, and the partial closures of January 2021.
Dr Lisa Kim, from the University of York's Department of Education, said: "There seems to be a relationship between the frequency of these headlines and teachers' own mental health. Though we cannot determine whether there is a causal relationship, it seems that it added to the pressure, particularly because some commentary seemed to be encouraging a blame culture."
Covid-19 Education Mental Health Research
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