Teacher coping self-efficacy and COVID: Does an online intervention make a difference for teacher well-being?
Author Identifier
Caroline Mansfield: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8984-2508
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Title
Global Perspectives on Resilience, Well-Being, and Mental Health in Schools, Families, and Communities: Cross Cultural, Transdisciplinary, and Multisystemic Interventions. Reflections and New Meanings
First Page
79
Last Page
111
Publisher
Nova Science Publishers Inc.
School
School of Education
Abstract
Concerns about teacher well-being across all levels of experience have increased. The COVID-19 pandemic led to school closures and shifts to online teaching. Three constructs of interest in this chapter, well-being, resilience, and coping, are connected conceptually through the AWaRE model: Aligning Well-being and Resilience in Education. From this socio-ecological perspective, well-being is restored through the resilience process, whereby individuals or systems, when appraising a threat to well-being, draw on resources from within themselves or their contexts, using coping strategies to restore well-being. The online BRiTE modules are an intervention supporting teachers' capacity for resilience. They are freely available, evidence-informed, personalized, interactive and flexible. Users give permission for data use, complete questionnaires before and after the modules, and respond to questions throughout. Although designed for beginning teachers, teachers of all experience levels have accessed them. In this chapter, we examine: teachers' strategies for coping with challenging situations; whether perceived self-efficacy for coping changes after completing the BRiTE modules; and whether there are differences between teachers completing the BRiTE modules before and after the onset of the pandemic. A mixed-methods, cross-sectional design examines data from 50 teachers who completed the modules (2019: n = 32; 2020: n = 18), who completed the pre-and postquestionnaires related to four types of coping self-efficacy, and who responded to questions in the well-being module. Participants nominated emotion-focused coping strategies such as exercising or listening to relaxing music-useful when a stressor is seen to be outside one's control. Fewer than expected relational-focused coping strategies were nominated. Participants engaged in various planful actions to maintain work-life balance. Coping self-efficacy increased significantly after completing the modules in both groups, although the 2020 participants were less confident about gaining support from family and friends. In the qualitative data, time spent with family and friends was important for self-care and work-life balance. The BRiTE intervention made a significant difference to the coping self-efficacy of both groups, despite the small sample size and despite being designed for everyday challenges rather than a pandemic. Data were collected through the online intervention, and further research could determine if the wide range of nominated adaptive strategies were actually used. Collaborative professional learning could generate more relational strategies and tap into structural resources, such as changing policies and practices. A challenge for teacher professional learning would be to develop flexible, collaborative interventions for use with a variety of teachers during a pandemic or other challenging times.
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Beltman, S., Mansfield, C., Hascher, T., & Collie, R. (2025). Teacher coping self-efficacy and COVID: Does an online intervention make a difference for teacher well-being? In Global Perspectives on Resilience, Well-Being, and Mental Health in Schools, Families, and Communities: Cross Cultural, Transdisciplinary, and Multisystemic Interventions. Reflections and New Meanings (pp. 81-114). Nova Science Publishers Inc https://novapublishers.com/shop/global-perspectives-on-resilience-well-being-and-mental-health-in-schools-families-and-communities-cross-cultural-transdisciplinary-and-multisystemic-interventions-reflections-and-new-meanings/