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. 2022 Oct 18;72(7):439-445.
doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqac050.

The psychosocial work environment among educators during the COVID-19 pandemic

P Smith  1   2   3 , J Oudyk  4   5 , L Cedillo  4 , K Inouye  6 , G Potter  7 , C Mustard  1   2
Affiliations

The psychosocial work environment among educators during the COVID-19 pandemic

P Smith et al. Occup Med (Lond). .

Abstract

Background: The education sector has been heavily impacted by COVID-19. While the impact on school-aged children has received much attention, less attention has focused on the experiences of educators.

Aims: To compare various dimensions of the psychosocial work environment and health outcomes between educators engaged in online learning to those engaged in in-person learning in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Methods: Responses from 5438 educators engaged in either online or in-person learning were collected between 23 November and 21 December 2020; three months after the start of the 2020/21 academic year in September 2020. Psychosocial outcomes included quantitative demands, work pace, predictability, role conflicts, and social support from supervisors and co-workers; assessed using an abbreviated version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included burnout and sleep troubles. Ordinary Least-Squares regression models examined adjusted mean differences in the levels of outcomes for respondents in in-person versus online learning, after adjustment for a variety of covariates.

Results: Compared to respondents engaged in in-person learning, respondents engaged in online learning reported less predictability, higher role conflicts and less support from supervisors and co-workers. Statistically significant differences in work pace, burnout and sleep troubles were also observed across learning modes, although these differences did not exceed previously suggested thresholds for minimum important differences.

Conclusions: Important differences in the psychosocial work environment were observed between respondents engaged in in-person learning versus online learning. Addressing these differences is required, given the potential continued importance of online learning within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Keywords: COVID-19; Canada; Psychosocial; burnout; education; stress; virtual instruction; working population.

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Comment in

  • Addressing the essential needs of Filipino educators during health crises.
    Cordero DA. Cordero DA. Occup Med (Lond). 2023 May 18;73(4):223. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqad055. Occup Med (Lond). 2023. PMID: 37202208 No abstract available.
  • Reply.
    Smith P, Oudyk J, Cedillo L, Inouye K, Potter G, Mustard C. Smith P, et al. Occup Med (Lond). 2023 May 18;73(4):224. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqad054. Occup Med (Lond). 2023. PMID: 37202211 No abstract available.

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