An Investigation Into Teacher Perceptions of Burnout During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced widespread K-12 school closures, which has required teachers to provide meaningful educational learning opportunities in contrast to their traditional brick and mortar schooling. The unprecedented disruption of education charged many teachers with learning new classroom management practices, technology, instructional planning, and relationship building for students practically overnight. COVID-19 changed daily work schedules and work routines for many teachers, making it critical to understand potential pandemic stressors that teachers are facing. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate teacher perceptions of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative to understand the factors of burnout and the support needed to deter burnout for future pandemics. It is essential to view teacher turnover as a measurable data point to access staff and school stability and culture. When large amounts of teachers leave a district, it drains human capital, as teachers are valuable. School systems must understand how to retain highly qualified and diverse personnel to create optimal environments for multiple stakeholders, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research looks to provide recommendations on how understanding burnout in a North Carolina school system can be applied to future pandemics.