MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY – GENERAL SANTOS CITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

A MIXED METHODS RESEARCH: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF

TEACHERS AND THEIR EFFICACY DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS.

A RESEARCH PAPER: CHAPTER 1 TO 3

PRESENTED TO
DR. AVA CLAIRE MARIE O. ROBLES
EDUC-200 A

BY

JANNAH N. AGURING
MAED-GENERAL EDUCATION
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The COVID-19 Pandemic brought a lot of crisis in our society. One of its
major impact is on the education sector. The closure of many schools leads to
the modification of teaching and learning process. ‘Emergency remote teaching’
as a temporary solution (Bozkurt and Sharma 2020) has been adopted in order
to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on education. Existing literature stated
that the impact of this global health crisis challenges teachers and how it affects
them in many ways. The demands to shift teaching to the different learning
modalities have also been reported to have increased the level of stress,
depression and anxiety among teachers in different parts of the world (UNESCO,
2020).

Teachers’ self-efficacy, namely teachers’ beliefs in their ability to effectively

handle the tasks, obligations, and challenges related to their professional activity,
plays a key role in influencing important academic outcomes (e.g., students’
achievement and motivation) and well-being in the working environment (Barni
et. al, 2019). According to Bandura's social cognitive theory of human functioning
emphasizes the critical role of self-beliefs in human cognition, motivation, and
behavior (Schunk et.al 2010).

Teachers as one of the key players in implementing the success or failure

of teaching and learning process should be assessed and guided on how to
eradicate the negative impacts of COVID-19 in their field of work. On the other
hand, the accumulated positive effects should be recognized in order for them to
shift their efficacy whilst adapting the new normal set-up of education.
 Although there were various studies regarding the level of teachers’
psychological state and their efficacy during the global crisis namely COVID-19
yet no study had been conducted at Viray-Lising Integrated School. In addition,
this research, fill in the gaps between the level of psychological state and efficacy
of teachers as of the current times as it relates to the success or failure of the
teaching-learning process particularly in the modular distance learning set-up of
the said school. As self-efficacy is different when hits by unsuspected
circumstances (depression, stress and anxiety) and changes like the complete
revision of every aspect related in the world of teaching as required by the new
normal situation.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the psychological state of Viray-Lising

Integrated School teachers and their efficacy during the covid-19 crisis.
This study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the level of Viray-Lising Integrated School teachers’
psychological
state (depression, anxiety and stress) during the COVID-19 crisis?
2. What is the extent of Viray-Lising Integrated School teachers’ efficacy in
the following:
1.1 Efficacy to influence decision making
1.2 Efficacy to Influence School Resources
1.3 Instructional Self-Efficacy
1.4 Disciplinary Self-Efficacy
1.5 Efficacy to Enlist Parental Involvement
1.6 Efficacy to Enlist Community Involvement
1.7 Efficacy to Create a Positive School Climate
3. Is there a significant relationship between the level of Viray-Lising
 Integrated School teachers’ psychological state (depression, anxiety and
stress) the extent of their efficacy during the COVID-19 crisis?
4. How do teachers in Viray-Lising Integrated School describe their
psychological state (depression, anxiety and stress) during the COVID-
19 crisis?
5. In what way do the Viray-Lising Integrated School teachers describe
their
efficacy among the different factors?
6. In what way do the quantitative data support the qualitative results of the
study?
Significance of the Study

This study is deemed significant to the following beneficiaries:

School Administrators. It will serve as the guidelines in developing a plan

for motivating and guiding the teachers through the different factors base on the

study in order to improve the performance and achievement in the new-normal

set-up.

Teachers. It will enable them to acquire more knowledge on how to

improve their psychological state and self-efficacy to become key players in a

modular teaching and learning process.

Parents. It will provide information about the importance of parents-

teacher relationship towards the learner’s achievements in the new-normal set up

of education especially the modular distance learning.

 The Researcher. This will help her to come up with a generalization that

will determine the level of psychological state and efficacy of teachers in the

modular distance learning set-up.

Other Researchers. This will serve as reference by others who would like
to conduct further research related to this study.
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the review of related literatures and studies that
have bearing with the present study. It also includes the conceptual framework,
hypotheses and definition of terms.

2.1 Related Literature

The closure of many schools leads to the modification of teaching and

learning process. ‘Emergency remote teaching’ as a temporary solution (Bozkurt
and Sharma 2020) has been adopted in order to mitigate the effects of the
pandemic on education.

Stress, Depression and Anxiety

The demands to shift teaching to the different learning modalities have

also been reported to have increased the level of stress, depression and anxiety
among teachers in different parts of the world (UNESCO, 2020).

The epidemic has had an impact on students' mental health as well

(Cachón-Zagalaz et al., 2020), as teachers have been under a lot of stress since
the beginning of the crisis. According to recent studies, teachers experienced
stress during lockdown as a result of needing to adjust (in record time) in order to
conduct online lectures (Besser et al., 2020). As a result of the increased effort
caused by home teaching, this stress is frequently accompanied by symptoms of
worry, depression, and sleep disturbance (2007).
 Al Lily et al., 2020, Although few studies were undertaken during the
pandemic to assess the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression among
teachers, those that were conducted suggest that they do, reinforcing the need of
reopening schools and colleges. According to a recent Arab study, this crisis has
prompted instructors to experience issues that are commonly associated with
pandemic situations, including as anxiety, depression, domestic violence, and
divorce, all of which limit their capacity to teach effectively.

Cambridge Dictionary stated that stress is the great worry caused by an

arduous situation or something that causes people difficulties in their sleeping,
got headaches and other unwanted pains. Likewise, in the study conducted by
Cook & Babyak (2019) entitled “The Impact of Spirituality and Occupational
Stress among Middle School Teachers” stressed out that teachers’ spirituality
scores (through Daily Spiritual Experience Scale) significantly predicted time-
management stress and work-related stress. An adventure based outdoor
programs for teachers should be implemented to lessen the stress-factors among
them which eventually reduce the psychological stress levels. Moreover, it
provides relief of it (Chang et al., 2019).

Teachers should be provided adequate opportunity to reduce stress

through coping skills and improve their effectiveness as essential academic
catalysts. Teachers, like other professionals, feel stress and ignore coping
techniques, thereby impacting their work performance. To avoid long-term
problems in professional and personal life, it is critical to recognize and address
the negative effects of stress on well-being and academic achievement
(Gustems-Carnicer et al., 2019).

Teachers’ Efficacy

Alfalla et al., 2020 stated that aside from determination, self-efficacy is an

important factor to consider. It may have an impact on a teacher's ability to
succeed. The term "self-efficacy" refers to the belief in one's own ability to
succeed. Belief in or judgment of a person's abilities and to deeds that are
required to reach a specific level of success performance. Teacher's self-efficacy
was also related to the teaching profession. Teachers with a high self-efficacy
encourages a healthy commitment to their career and a collaborative partnership
with stakeholders that leads to a favorable learning environment. Likewise,
resourceful teachers with high self-efficacy should experience less stress and
burn-out. Whereas teachers with low self-efficacy were found to be quitting the
teaching profession.

Teachers’ self-efficacy, namely teachers’ beliefs in their ability to effectively

handle the tasks, obligations, and challenges related to their professional activity,
plays a key role in influencing important academic outcomes (e.g., students’
achievement and motivation) and well-being in the working environment (Barni
et. al, 2019).

Bandura's social cognitive theory underpins self-efficacy. Rotter's notion of

internal and external control. Rotter clarified the situation. Teachers' self-efficacy
is expected to rise if they believe their students are capable. Their initiatives have
an impact on achievement, which declines if they don't. External variables
influence student achievement and behavior. Self-efficacy, according to Bandura,
is the ability to govern one's own behavior. The effects of the drug on one's
actions, urges, and ideas. Individual and group behavior have synergistic
relationships. Their surroundings People develop self-efficacy when they believe
in themselves. Because they are proactive, self-organizing, self-reflective, and
self-regulating, they have an impact on what they do.

2.2 Related Studies

Stress, Depression and Anxiety

 In the recent study of The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2020). It has already recognized one of the
negative effects is instructor confusion and stress. Due to the suddenness of the
closures, the implications of school closures such measures, as well as
ambiguity about their length and a lack of information a working knowledge of
distant education. The unfavorable work situation emotions linked to the
depletion of psychological resources. The question of resources has long been a
cause of heated debate among experts. Professionals in education,
policymakers, and researchers (Kim as well as Asbury, 2020). This is possible
due to the long-term nature of the situation. Because of the difficulty causes
tiredness by lowering confidence. It makes it more difficult to trust them in their
capacity to accomplish their duties.

Furthermore, it is critical to protect one's mental well-being. Since,

according to a recent study by De la Fuente et al. 2020, teachers' health has
deteriorated. Teacher–student connections are also a source of stress. The
student's emotional state is predicted by the teacher's behavior, students' well-
being and devotion, which are also important vital elements in lowering their
stress levels

Research conducted in a number of countries has revealed that in the

classroom many people have died as a result of stress, worry, and depression in
the workplace (Ryan et al., 2017; Von der Embse et al., 2019). Indeed,
Psychological symptomatology has been researched in both primary and
secondary schools.

Teachers’ Efficacy

According to a recent study by Cardullo et al 2020, among the challenges

faced by teachers during the pandemic phase were a lack of technological
devices and a low level of perceived self-efficacy in the use of technology, a lack
of parental support for on-line learning, and, most importantly, the difficulty
motivating and involving students in remote contexts.

According to the study of Pulido-Martos, M., et al 2016 that long-term

school closures and home confinement have had a severe impact on the mental
and physical health of children and adults. Teachers, in particular, have
psychological challenges. Difficulties primarily related to home isolation are
added to pre-existing representations of burnout is a syndrome that develops as
a result of long-term professional stress; it looks to be on the rise characterized
by a sense of tiredness or depletion of energy, as well as a widening of mental
distance unpleasant or cynical sentiments toward work and others, as well as a
decrease in professional efficacy.

Teachers’ self-efficacy has progressively gained an important role in

school psychology research as a result of its implications for teaching
effectiveness, instructional practices, and for students’ academic achievement
(Klassen et al., 2009; Klassen and Tze, 2014). Considerable research has shown
that teachers with high levels of self-efficacy experience higher levels of job
satisfaction, lower levels of job-related stress and face less difficulties in dealing
with students’ misbehaviors (Caprara et al., 2003). Thus, understanding the main
antecedents of self-efficacy may have important payoffs in working for teachers’
well-being and school effectiveness and improvement.

2.3 Conceptual Framework

In this study, the independent variables are the teachers’ psychological

state (depression, anxiety and stress). Likewise, the dependent variables are the
teachers’ efficacy in the following: efficacy to influence decision making, efficacy
to influence school resources, instructional self-efficacy, disciplinary self-efficacy,
efficacy to enlist parental involvement, efficacy to enlist community involvement
and efficacy to create a positive school climate.
 Independent Variables Dependent Variables

TEACHERS’ EFFICACY IN THE FOLLOWING:

1.1 EFFICACY TO INFLUENCE DECISION
MAKING
1.2 EFFICACY TO INFLUENCE SCHOOL
TEACHERS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL
RESOURCES
STATE
1.3 INSTRUCTIONAL SELF-EFFICACY
(DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND
1.4 DISCIPLINARY SELF-EFFICACY
STRESS)
1.5 EFFICACY TO ENLIST PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT
1.6 EFFICACY TO ENLIST COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
1.7 EFFICACY TO CREATE A POSITIVE
SCHOOL CLIMATE

2.4 Hypotheses

2.5 Definition of Terms

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

2.4 Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between the level of Viray-Lising

Integrated School teachers’ psychological state (depression, anxiety and

stress) the extent of their efficacy during the COVID-19 crisis.

2.5 Definition of Terms

For better understanding of frequently used terms, the following were defined
conceptually and operationally.

Psychological State. This refers to a mental condition in which the

qualities of a state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be
dynamic (WordNet. Princeton University, 2010) like stress, depression and
anxiety.

Self-efficacy. This refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to

execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments
(Bandura, 1997). Operationally, this refers to the teachers’ behavior in the new-
normal set up of education especially in the modular distance learning.

Modular Distance Learning. This refers to a form of distance learning

that uses Self-Learning Modules (SLM) based on the most essential learning
competencies (MELCS) provided by DepEd. The modules include sections on
motivation and assessment that serve as a complete guide of both teachers’ and
students’ desired competencies (Flipscience.com, 2020).
 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses research methods, research design, research

locale, respondents of the study, data gathering procedure and statistical
treatment use to treat the data gather.

3.1 Research Design

This researcher will employ a mixed-method research design. It is a form

of inquiry that integrates both quantitative and qualitative data (Creswell, 2003).
Furthermore, it is a type of research design in which qualitative and quantitative
approaches are used in the types of questions, methods, collection, analysis, and
inferences (Teddie & Tashakkori, 2009).

Specifically, the researcher will use an explanatory sequential mixed-

method research design. The purpose of this design is to start in the first phase
by collecting and analyzing quantitative data and in second phase by collecting
and analyzing quantitative data as a follow-up to the qualitative results. As this
method gives best insight and in-depth reasons why such phenomenon
happened (Chinese Scholarship Council, 2019). This design that is based on
different methods appears to address the psychological state of Viray-Lising
Integrated School teachers and their efficacy during the covid-19 crisis. Figure 1
shows the research design of this study.

Quantitative
Data Collection
and Analysis

Follow
up
with

Qualitative
Data Collection
and Analysis

Interpretation

Figure 2
3.2 Subjects of the Study

The respondents of the study will be the teachers of Viray-Lising Integrated

School situated at Purok 1, Glamang Polomolok South Cotabato. The teachers
will be chosen as the respondents to determine the psychological state of l
teachers and their efficacy during the covid-19 crisis in modular distance learning
set-up. There are only 23 teachers from elementary level up to the junior high
school for the School Year 2021-2022. The researcher will include all the said
respondents since the population is lesser than 100 supported by Calmorin and
Calmorin (2010), the use of total population is advisable if the number of subject
is less than 100.

3.3 Research Locale

This study will be conducted at Viray-Lising Integrated School –

Elementary and Junior High School Departments. It is located at Purok 1,
Glamang, Polomolok, South Cotabato.
3.4 Research Instrument
To determine the psychological state of Viray-Lising Integrated School
teachers and their efficacy during the covid-19 crisis, the researcher will be
adapting the following instruments.

Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21). A set of

three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression,
anxiety and stress.

Bandura’s Instrument Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale. This questionnaire

is designed to help us gain a better understanding of the kinds of things that
create

difficulties for teachers in their school activities.

3.5 Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher observed the following procedures in data gathering.

Before the conduct of the study, the researcher will send a letter of
permission. The researcher will write a letter to Mrs. Hermie F. Dumayas the
Principal of Viray-Lising Integrated School and to the teachers. Upon the
approval of the letter request, the researcher will personally distribute the survey
questionnaire to the respondents and then personally collect the it as soon as the
respondents accomplished them. In addition, health protocols will be strictly
followed to ensure the safety of every respondent.

3.6 Statistical Treatment

This study will use the following statistical tools.

Frequency count and weighted mean. Frequency count will be used to

determine the number of times the respondents checked each scale in every
question. And weighted mean will be used to determine the level of psychological
state of the teachers and their efficacy.

Linear Regression. The study will employ the said statistical tool to
predict the value of a variable based on the value of another variable.

All statistical tests will be done at 0.05 level of significance.

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