Teacher Exhaustion: Remote Work and Return to In-Person Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To identify the feeling of exhaustion and its relationship with remote work and the return to in-person teaching among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This is an analytical, cross-sectional online study (e-survey) with a quantitative approach. It was conducted with 703 teachers from the state public school system, between April and July 2022. Recruitment followed the Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) method, in which one participant referred another. An instrument was used containing variables related to socioeconomic data, feelings of exhaustion, remote work, and the return to in-person teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), applying Pearson’s Chi-square test with a 95% significance level (p<0.05). The study received approval from a research ethics committee. Results: It was observed that teachers were exhausted most of the time or always during remote work due to dividing their time with other activities (n=190; 55.1%). Additionally, furniture was not adequate for the services provided (n=111; 75.5%). It was also verified that part of them lacked training for the new work format (n=33; 67.3%), and that many did not possess the necessary technological resources (n=48; 92.3%). Upon returning to in-person teaching, the non-provision of masks (n=300; 45.3%) and modifications in the physical structure of the school (n=224; 55.3%) were associated with feelings of exhaustion. Conclusion: It was observed that the feeling of exhaustion was present both in remote work and in the return to in-person teaching, with concerning effects on teachers’ health. The need to regulate remote work and to implement measures aimed at the promotion and protection of teachers’ health in crisis contexts was evidenced.