Online education and its effect on teachers during COVID-19—A case study from India

Abstract

Background COVID pandemic resulted in an initially temporary and then long term closure of educational institutions, creating a need for adapting to online and remote learning. The transition to online education platforms presented unprecedented challenges for the teachers. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of the transition to online education on teachers’ wellbeing in India. Methods The research was conducted on 1812 teachers working in schools, colleges, and coaching institutions from six different Indian states. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected via online survey and telephone interviews. Results The results show that COVID pandemic exacerbated the existing widespread inequality in access to internet connectivity, smart devices, and teacher training required for an effective transition to an online mode of education. Teachers nonetheless adapted quickly to online teaching with the help of institutional training as well as self-learning tools. However, respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of online teaching and assessment methods, and exhibited a strong desire to return to traditional modes of learning. 82% respondents reported physical issues like neck pain, back pain, headache, and eyestrain. Additionally, 92% respondents faced mental issues like stress, anxiety, and loneliness due to online teaching. Conclusion As the effectiveness of online learning perforce taps on the existing infrastructure, not only has it widened the learning gap between the rich and the poor, it has also compromised the quality of education being imparted in general. Teachers faced increased physical and mental health issues due to long working hours and uncertainty associated with COVID lockdowns. There is a need to develop a sound strategy to address the gaps in access to digital learning and teachers’ training to improve both the quality of education and the mental health of teachers.

Relationship between Mental Health and Teaching Efficacy of Indian School Teachers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Autonomy and Emotional Intelligence

“…This finding is consistent with the research results of past studies (Kaur, 2008;Gorsy et al, 2015;Dagar & Mathur, 2016;Kaur, 2017;Ghosh, Adhikari & Das, 2020) which pointed out towards a decent percentage of Indian school teachers have been suffering from different mental health problems. The reasons or types were not investigated here, but they can be attributed to the structural aspects of the school system, burgeoning expectations of society (Kundu & Bej, 2020), transformational teaching (Dayal, 2023), massive changes in teachers' roles in classrooms and teaching methods (Chaudhry & Chhajer, 2023), and regularly increasing assessment pressure (Bhattacharya & Tandon, 2023), especially in the post-National Education Policy 2020 implemented era.…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic in India has aggravated the issue and negatively impacted school teachers' psychological health due to uncertainty, workload, job dissatisfaction, health issues, and multiple roles, according to research (Chaudhry & Chhajer, 2023;Kim et al, 2022;Maggio et al, 2022). For many Indian school teachers, the abrupt introduction of distance learning presented challenges, including the need to adapt new technologies, revise pedagogy, and change the style of evaluation to deliver online education effectively (Bhattacharya & Tandon, 2023;Dayal, 2023). The transition problem for school teachers has become more acute due to societal expectations and the historic National Education Policy 2020, which envisions a major revamp of the educational system (Kundu, Bej, & Mondal, 2023).…”

Assessment of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on dietary patterns, physical activity, and lifestyle behaviours: a survey among adult European citizens

“…higher alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, stress, and depression) (Goncalves et al, 2021;Tavolacci et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2020). While among the teaching staff, the challenges associated with physical and mental health, learning new technologies, and ways of working were most often mentioned (Dayal, 2023;McDonough and Lemon, 2022). In agreement with the results of several previous studies reporting changes in smoking and food preferences in relation to COVD 19 risk perceptions (Gold et al, 2021;Kowalczuk and Ge ˛bski, 2021), the findings of the present study show that European respondents changed their smoking and alcohol consumption habits, physical activity, and nutritional consumption behaviour during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…higher alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, stress, and depression) (Goncalves et al ., 2021; Tavolacci et al , 2021; Wang et al , 2020). While among the teaching staff, the challenges associated with physical and mental health, learning new technologies, and ways of working were most often mentioned (Dayal, 2023; McDonough and Lemon, 2022).…”

The Changes in Teacher-Student Interaction and Communication in Higher Education Institutions Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…The Covid-19 pandemic has also led to changes in the nature of teacher-student communication (Ali et al, 2021;Dayal, 2023). A study by Schneider and Council (2020) found that the adoption of online platforms has led to an increase in the frequency and variety of communication between educators and students.…”