SUMMARY Science Teachers as Public Health Educators: How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Reshaped the Roles and Experiences of K-12 Science Teachers? (COVID 2022)
Summary
This report details findings from a research study about teachers’ decisions and instruction related to COVID, as well as burdens placed on teachers due to the pandemic and their thoughts about staying in the profession. Study data indicate that teachers accessed a variety of media sources to find information about COVID, with large percentages relying on health information websites such as the CDC and NIH. Large proportions of teachers at each grade band devoted class time to COVID. While many teachers addressed COVID during the 2021–22 school year, teachers reported spending less time on the topic than they did in the 2020–21 school year. A majority of teachers addressed COVID as part of their curriculum, increasingly so with increasing grade level. Elementary teachers were more likely to address COVID as a standalone topic compared to their secondary counterparts. Across grade bands, the most commonly addressed topics included ways to prevent transmission, how the virus is transmitted and what coronavirus/COVID-19 is. Teachers relied heavily on units and lessons they created or collected from an online source to address these topics. As the pandemic persisted, teachers increasingly focused on topics related to public health, such as the impacts of social distancing and factors that place people at risk for contracting the virus.
The vast majority of teachers at each grade band indicated that students asked questions about COVID. Students asked questions most often centered around three topics; vaccines/boosters, personal concerns, and how to prevent transmission. Across grade bands, about one-quarter of teachers chose to address COVID in their instruction because it was a relevant/current event. The most common reason why elementary and middle school teachers addressed COVID was to promote public health safety. Conversely, when teachers did not address COVID, the most common reasons were that (1) it was not related to their standards/curriculum/course and (2) they feared pushback from parents/students. Elementary teachers also chose not to address COVID due to the young age of their students. Teachers’ decisions about whether or not to teach about COVID were largely influenced by their perceptions of control and feelings of self-efficacy.
Teachers across grade levels spent a substantial amount of time on instructional and non-instructional activities during the pandemic, much more so than the amount of time they spent on similar activities prior to the pandemic. Teachers reported feeling exhausted, disconnected from students and colleagues, and overwhelmed by the amount of extra work and technology issues that were required to teach science during the pandemic. The height of the pandemic saw a dip in teachers’ positive feelings toward teaching science. Negative feelings, including being overwhelmed by additional burdens and frustrated by lack of support, greatly increased and have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Teachers were asked to share their biggest challenges and unanticipated benefits of teaching during COVID. Transitioning to remote/hybrid instruction and the inability to utilize hands-on or group learning were among the biggest challenges science teachers faced during the pandemic.
At the same time, teachers reported that they adapted to new technologies and learned new skills as a result of the rapid shift to online learning. Teachers also discovered and created new materials or resources that could be used in various instructional arrangements.
A majority of teachers reported having access to mental health services in their schools during the pandemic, but many fewer actually received mental health support. When teachers received support, it was most often focused on helping connect students to mental health services or resources. Teachers also received support for their own mental health.
The vast majority of teachers said they have stayed in the profession due to enjoyment in working with students and their passion for teaching/content. However, since the onset of the pandemic, the extent to which teachers have considered leaving the profession has drastically increased. Half of science teachers reported being at least somewhat likely to leave the profession within the next two years. The stress of teaching, demands of teaching on their time, and student behavior were among the most common factors contributing to teachers leaving or considering leaving the profession. About half of teachers who left the profession did so because of reasons related to the COVID pandemic.
The overarching finding in this study is that science teachers played an important but often unacknowledged role as public health educators. They provided accurate information to their students and their communities while at the same time combatting misinformation. They calmed student fears and tended to students’ social-emotional well-being more broadly. Teachers rose to the occasion and provided a critical service to the nation, but it took a toll on them. Large proportions report seriously considering leaving the impression, creating the potential for an even greater shortage of science teachers unless their well-being is addressed.