Date of Award
6-5-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Amany Saleh
Second Advisor
Brandy Kamm
Committee Members
Brad Faught
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2023 S56
Abstract
As the world experienced a worldwide pandemic, certified Arkansas elementary school teachers went back to the classroom to support students. The experience was unique and challenging because of the unexpected changes that occurred. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of the stress of Arkansas teachers as they experienced an increase in workload and changes to their sense of self-efficacy. The conceptual framework chosen for this study is the job demand-control-support model. This framework made it possible to understand the teacher’s view of the changes, such as COVID-related increased procedures and isolation due to social distancing. At times, the teachers had little control over their experience in the classroom. Teachers who were trained to collaborate worked in isolation. The findings of the study reveal that teachers experienced an increase in workload. Teachers in the study perceived their stress as a hindrance because they could not engage with their students as they had before the pandemic. Most often, prayer was used as a coping mechanism by participants in the study. The implications of the findings are that before schools are faced with unique challenges, such as a world pandemic, school leaders must prepare teachers for changes that could disrupt their work environment. The educational practitioners’ recommendation for practice includes developing stress management programs to help teachers (a) sustain positive beliefs about their abilities to teach their students, (b) lower stress levels, (c) help teachers recognize signs and symptoms of stress, and (d) build social-emotional competence. Another recommendation for practice is the implementation of rationale emotive occupational health coaching to elementary school teachers. This is an effective way for those impacted to discuss and express their feeling concerning COVID-19. Thus giving them an outlet to extinguish negative perceptions of their experiences. Keywords: Arkansas, COVID-19, elementary school teachers’ stress
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Sims, Cherie N., "A Phenomenological Study on Job Stress and Its Perceived Effect on Elementary Teachers in Arkansas Returning to the Classroom at The Height of The Covid-19" (2023). Student Theses and Dissertations. 203.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/203
