'Teachers are the guinea pigs': teacher perspectives on a sudden reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

Jillian Ryan; Nicole Koehler; Travis Cruickshank; Shane L Rogers; Mandy Stanley

doi:10.1007/s13384-022-00577-6

'Teachers are the guinea pigs': teacher perspectives on a sudden reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aust Educ Res. 2023 Feb 13:1-17. doi: 10.1007/s13384-022-00577-6. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jillian Ryan¹, Nicole Koehler¹, Travis Cruickshank², Shane L Rogers³, Mandy Stanley¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA Australia.
² Centre for Precision Health, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA Australia.
³ School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA Australia.

Abstract

Primary and secondary education systems experienced substantial disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about how public health policy has affected Australian teachers during the pandemic. This study examines teacher perspectives on a sudden change of policy, whereby schools were abruptly opened to students at the beginning of the pandemic. At the same time, strict social distancing rules applied to the remainder of the population. Qualitative data from 372 Western Australian schoolteachers were analysed using thematic analysis. Results highlight substantial impacts on teachers' workloads and adverse effects on wellbeing. Perceptions that they were acting as guinea pigs and subjected to different social distancing rules than other citizens were particular stressors. Findings highlight substantial consequences of public health policies on the roles and wellbeing of teachers.

Keywords: COVID-19; Government Policy; Pandemic; Primary Education; Schoolteachers; Secondary Education; Wellbeing.