Arab Teachers’ Well-Being upon School Reopening during COVID-19: Applying the Job Demands–Resources Model

Abstract

Once the major threat of the COVID-19 pandemic diminished, schools reopened, and teachers once again had to cope with unprecedented challenges. The impact of these challenges on the emotional well-being of Arab teachers, who have a unique set of challenges within the Israeli school educational system, has received little attention in the recent literature. In this cross-sectional study, we examined 300 Arab teachers’ well-being in Israel in May 2021, three months after schools were reopened. All study hypotheses were confirmed. Findings indicate the need to promote a sense of well-being among Arab teachers in stressful conditions and to design solutions specifically tailored to support them in accordance with their cultural and social characteristics. Israel’s Ministry of Education should encourage school administrators to seek ways to provide a supportive environment for Arab teachers in school environments in order to improve their performance and retention, and maintain their well-being.

Rising Strong: The Interplay between Resilience, Social Support, and Post-Traumatic Growth among Teachers after the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…It (i.e., the ability to bounce back from negative emotional experiences) appeared to enable teachers to overcome the challenges caused by the pandemic and protect themselves from overwhelmingly excessive feelings of stress. This confirms studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which found that teachers' resilience was positively related to their emotional state and resilience [11,17]. A recent review of scientific evidence on the positive aspects of the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic found that resilience was associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and burnout among health professionals.…”

“…Alongside teachers' feelings of emotional distress, a few studies observed positive changes among teachers as a result of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis [11][12][13]. Some of these changes include increased care, security, self-direction, short-time work, and increases in leisure time.…”

“…Resilience is a psychological resource that refers to positive adaptation and functioning in the face of a crisis [15,16]. Studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic found that teachers' resilience was positively related to their emotional state and functioning [11,17], and that resilience is a significant positive predictor of teacher well-being [18].…”

“…Social support is a resource that can help individuals cope emotionally during stressful events [19]. Following the COVID-19 crisis, teachers reported that the ambiguity of their role and the lack of support from the school affected their personal lives, mental wellbeing, and professional performance as educators [11,20]. However, very few studies have examined the positive psychological effects among teachers when schools reopened after a prolonged period [6,7].…”

Social–Emotional Management to Promote Quality in Education: A Training Program for Teachers

“…Research in this field recognizes the complexity of emotions, especially when trying to define or delimit them, as well as the short-and long-term effects of home confinement on both teachers and students. In fact, these investigations show a negative impact at the psychological, emotional, and behavioral levels that involves changes in routines, changes at the physical level, and even the use of screens [5,6]. This scenario can be influenced by the functioning of other interconnected domains, among which family, school, and society may be involved.…”