Symposia
System Stakeholder Issues
Ashley L. Sullivan, Ph.D., MSW
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
Erie, Pennsylvania
Melanie D. Hetzel-Riggin, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Penn State Behrend
Erie, Pennsylvania
Teachers in the K-12 setting are exposed to many potentially traumatic events. Approximately 9% of teachers report that they have been threatened with injury by a student from their school; 5% of schoolteachers reported that they had been physically attacked by a student from their school. Between 14 and 34 school-age children are victims of school shootings every year, and the FBI reports that close to 5 percent of bombing incidents in the United States (approximately 50/year) were targeted at schools (CDC, 2022). The pandemic and related public health measures have had a serious impact on learning and teaching. Students and teachers were forced often to use unfamiliar technology, experience increased risk of infection led to quarantining and isolation, and work with limited resources. More recently, debates about masking and safety have led to threats against teachers and many teachers are expected to leave the profession during the next two years (Jakubowski & Sitko-Dominik, 2021).
No research has thoroughly examined how teachers view their skills, ability, and self-efficacy for dealing with the pandemic and potentially traumatic events in their classrooms. The present study is interested in assessing teachers’ experiences in the classroom during the pandemic, the reactions of parents, students, administration, and the public to educators in the last two years, and how this is related to mental health, burnout, and job satisfaction in educators.
Data collection is ongoing, and we expect to have data from 300 K-12 educators at the end of the data collection period. Preliminary correlation and regression data suggest that K-12 educators are experiencing moderate to severe levels of stress, burnout, anxiety, and COVID-related stress. Those teacher respondents who reported more institutional betrayal reported higher levels of stress and burnout and lower levels of resiliency. Institutional betrayal was also associated with more maladaptive coping methods and posttraumatic cognitions.
Qualitative responses by respondents provided specific suggestions for preservice teacher education and resource development for educators to better support them during future disasters. The results of this study can help inform how we can strengthen institutional systems to support K-12 teachers. Suggestions for preservice teacher education, clinical interventions, and school-wide supports from a trauma-informed perspective may lead to decreased negative outcomes, better coping, and retainment of educators.