School Leadership Support: Understanding the Experiences of Elementary-Level Teachers During a Global Health Pandemic

Authors

Kathleen M. Crawford, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Pamela Wells, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Juliann Sergi McBrayer, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Kristen N. Dickens, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow
Katherine Fallon, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow

Short Title

School Leadership Support: Teaching During Pandemic

Keywords

Pandemic, teaching and learning, elementary education, photovoice, action research, online learning, school leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to better understand how the current COVID-19 global health pandemic has professionally and emotionally impacted elementary-level teachers. Teachers experienced diverse challenges during this unprecedented time with a rapid shift from in-person to online learning. Two overarching themes emerged based on participant experiences: abandoning best practices and increased stress and emotional pain. Implications for practice included the need for school leaders to evaluate the current level of support being provided to teachers and assess areas of need to support professional and emotional growth with the backdrop of the pandemic. We encourage future research with all educators to better understand how they are experiencing this health pandemic including the school leaders themselves.

Recommended Citation

Crawford, Kathleen M.; Wells, Pamela; McBrayer, Juliann Sergi; Dickens, Kristen N.; and Fallon, Katherine (2022) "School Leadership Support: Understanding the Experiences of Elementary-Level Teachers During a Global Health Pandemic," School Leadership Review: Vol. 16: Iss. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/slr/vol16/iss2/3