Teachers’ concerns and teaching experience during the pandemic and beyond: implications for research, policy and practice

Abstract

This paper reports on findings arising from a wider study aimed at investigating teachers’ concerns during the pandemic and their views regarding changes in teaching in the post-COVID context. Adopting a mixed-method approach, data were gathered through a survey including both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The study involved 2,192 teachers from all sectors of education. Both the quantitative and qualitative data indicate that teachers’ most frequent concerns are related to students and their families, to their own personal issues, to poor working conditions, and to work-life balance. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the teaching experience during the second lockdown was generally more positive compared to the first lockdown. The participants advocate for changes in the post-pandemic scenario, particularly focusing on continuous professional development, enhancing institutional conditions, and securing access to adequate resources. Differences in responses to sociodemographic questions were also found relating to Remote Teaching Concerns (RTC) and Remote Teaching Experience (RTE). This study offers implications for further research, policy development, and practical applications in the field.