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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2023
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.Ed.
Department
Education Evaluation and Research
First Advisor
Anita D. Welch
Abstract
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by a transition to emergency remote teaching in spring 2020, which was followed by phased reopening in 2020-21 which ushered unprecedented challenges for elementary teachers. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study (IPA) was to investigate the experiences of elementary teachers returning to in-person learning after COVID-19 school closures. Nine elementary educators were recruited from three public school districts in Southeast Michigan through purposeful sampling. Data was collected through two-phased semi-structured interviews over Zoom. Findings revealed that teachers felt anxious, unprepared, and faced extensive challenges during virtual delivery. Further, new barriers to teaching emerged after reopening due to safety protocols, regressions in students learning and behaviors, and teacher’s stress. Despite challenges, participants demonstrated resilience and self-efficacy. Findings indicate that elementary teachers’ wellbeing could be improved by reducing academic pressure and providing targeted interventions and paraprofessional supports at the classroom level.
Recommended Citation
Chhabra, Anjali, "Chronicling Elementary Teachers’ Experiences Of In-Person Teaching After Forced Covid-19 School Closures: A Phenomenological Inquiry" (2023). Wayne State University Theses. 910.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/910