Primary School Teachers Resilience Factors Mitigating against the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

PCF10 Sub-theme: Building Resilience // The COVID-19 pandemic has had notable consequences on a global scale resulting in disruptions affecting the health and psychological wellbeing of society. Primary school teachers were among the mostly affected groups with the new covid-19 measures and restrictions. The study sought to examine resilience factors militating against the Covid-19 pandemic among primary school teachers in the Mochudi Inspectoral area. The Broad and build theoretical framework was adopted for the study. A correlational design in the quantitative approach was used on a population of 478 primary school teachers in the Mochudi Inspectoral area. The researchers drew a random sample of 188 primary school teachers from the entire population to complete the survey for the study. The results of the study were statistically significant indicating positive correlations between social support and Covid-19 pandemic ([r =. 364, n=184, p= <.05 (0.001)]. Secondly, results between optimism and the Covid-19 pandemic were statistically significant and indicated positive correlation [r =. 399, n = 184, p = < .05 (0.001)] between the two variables among teachers in the Mochudi Inspectoral area. Lastly, there was a positive weak correlation between perseverance and the Covid-19 pandemic among primary school teachers in the Mochudi Inspectoral Area and the results were not statistically significant [r =. 077, n = 184, p = > .05 (0.296)]. In light of the results, the researchers conclude that social support and optimism provided a buffer zone for primary school teachers’ resilience against the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While perseverance did not seem to correlate strongly with the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors hypothesize that it is a crucial personal attribute among teachers to survive a pandemic. Though the study was limited to the quantitative approach, the results provide meaningful insight to the COVID-19 pandemic and its association to resilience among primary school teachers. The researchers call for similar future studies to replicate the current study. // Paper ID 1332