2021 was a year marked by the lingering effects of a global pandemic, political upheaval, and ongoing challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. A new large-scale study from the Education Collaboratory at the Yale Child Study Center reports on the affective experiences of more than 8,000 school personnel representing all 50 states and territories. This paper is the first first-author publication from Miranda Wood, who completed these analyses while she was a post-graduate associate at the Yale Child Study Center under the mentorship of Dr. Christina Cipriano. Miranda is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Missouri. The team was supported by Drs. Cheyeon Ha and Marc Brackett.
Study Overview
The participants, ranging from educators, support staff, and administrators, were asked to reflect on their feelings, sources of stress and joy, and their perceptions of support during the turbulent year. The study focuses on the critical intersection of personal well-being and the broader sociopolitical environment, providing insights into how systemic issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and political polarization affected the emotional experiences of school staff. Personnel experiences were analyzed in cohorts based on critical events of the calendar year 2021, including fully remote instruction, the January 6th insurrection, the roll-out of the first vaccines, summer vacation, and returning to in-person instruction.
What We Learned
- Sociopolitical Influence: Personnel in Republican-voting states reported higher COVID-19-related stress, while those in Democrat-voting states identified uncertainty and technology issues as more frequent stressors. Political context significantly impacted the different educational challenges reported by teachers that their schools faced during 2021.
- Stressors and Racial Disparities: Major stressors reported by personnel included lack of resources, heavy workload, and COVID-19 concerns, with notable racial disparities; Black and African American personnel reported COVID-19 as the top stressor and this pattern was significantly different from stressors reported across all other racial groups.
- Sources of Joy: Students remained the primary source of joy for educators, across all demographic groups and political affiliations, across the entire year, followed in impact by coworker relationships.
- Emotional Challenges and Resilience: School personnel experienced heightened anxiety, stress, and feeling overwhelmed in 2021 academic year, with positive emotions like happiness increasing toward the year’s end, indicating some resilience in adapting to challenges.
- Need for SEL Support: Findings highlight the critical need for social and emotional learning (SEL) support for school personnel, as emotional well-being directly impacts their ability to manage classrooms and support student development.
What This Work Means
With the presidential election just a month away, the time is now to look back to learn forward. The emotional experiences of school personnel are integral to the well-being of our education system. This study provides a valuable snapshot of the challenges and sources of support that shaped the emotional landscape of U.S. school personnel in 2021. By reflecting on these experiences and understanding the social, political, and emotional forces at play, we can better support educators in shaping the future of all students and society.
This research underscores the pressing need for SEL opportunities for school personnel. The emotional well-being of educators and support staff has a direct impact on their ability to effectively support students, manage classrooms, and engage in meaningful educational practices. Given the elevated levels of stress and burnout reported, findings point to a critical need to integrate SEL into professional development programs for school personnel.
For further details, check out the full publication, open access, here.
Full citation: Wood, K., Ha, C., Brackett, M., & Cipriano, C. (2024). Examining the Affective Experiences of U.S. School Personnel within the Sociopolitical Context of COVID-19. Education Sciences. 14(10), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101093