Coping Mechanisms of San Marcos Elementary School Teachers under the “New Normal”:

A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction

Education sector is one of the most affected fields brought about by COVID-19

pandemic. Schools have become the most vulnerable to safety and security. Health concerns of

school personnel, students, parents, and other stakeholders are at stake; thus, temporary closure

of schools was enforced to contain the spread of the virus and reduce infections (UNESCO,

2020). Community lockdown and quarantine led work from home among teachers and study

from home among students through online distance learning (Crawford, et al., 2020). Other

schools cut their classes short than expected, which causes serious disruption to more educational

opportunities. The opening of cases for the next academic year was delayed, giving more time to

schools to prepare continuity plans and manage alternative learning modalities. Teaching and

learning which mainly happens inside the classroom becomes the most susceptible to

disturbance, so education leaders decided to cope with and adopt the New Normal education.

Globally, many schools have already replaced traditional classroom setups with

innovative flexible learning strategies since these are found to improve students’ learning

outcomes (Kim, 2020). The Philippines’ education system, particularly in the basic education,

faces challenges related to learning delivery modalities. It is eyed that marginalized learners are

expected to have less access to resources causing social disadvantage and digital divide. Thus,

flexible learning has been subjected to further evaluations and debates in terms of inclusivity and

equity in educational opportunities.

Education shall continue despite the situation so the Department of Education (DepEd)

has implemented its Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) for the Academic year
2020-2021. BE-LCP is a package of education interventions that will respond to basic education

challenges brought about by COVID-19 (DepEd Order No. 12, 2020). And so, to protect the

health, safety, and well-being of learners, teachers, and personnel, and prevent the further

transmission of COVID19, the department will implement the alternative learning delivery

modalities such as modular, television-based, radio-based instruction, blended, and online while

face-to-face classes still prohibited due to the public health situation. As to the curriculum

offering, the learning competencies have been decongested to focus only on the most essential

learning competencies (MELC) which are aligned to the achievement of 21st century skills such

as critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.

Consequently, instructional delivery is shifted into a different undertaking in the teaching

and learning process. Subject matter has been taught in different ways such as inquiry, hands-on

learning, social interaction, and constructivism. However, such pedagogies seem difficult to

implement in a distance learning, and teachers do not feel adequately able and prepared to teach

the subject remotely (Lichoro, 2015). Teachers who are new to distance learning may feel

unprepared to facilitate teaching, thus, need support as to technical, pedagogical, and time

management (Dyment, 2013). Instruction heavily relies on technology leaving the teachers not

fully prepared and lack of competence (Nilson & Goodson, 2018). In this regard, digital literacy

gains recognition as the key tool for lifelong learning and. However, it has still its downside due

to high costs and maintenance, accessibility to online platforms and resources, and incompetence

to its use.

Thus, this study will be conducted to explore the teachers’ lived experiences in the pre-

implementation of distance learning in the New Normal. Furthermore, it attempted to investigate

the teachers’ preparation, challenges, and coping mechanisms.

Review of Related Literature

Stress in society is a growing concern, especially now for teachers. Sandiles et.al.2018

defined stress as the teacher experimenting some negative emotions as tension, frustration,

anxiety, fury and depression, resulting from some teaching aspects. This is further defined by

Greenberg as ̏the physical, mental, or emotional reaction resulting from an individual´s

response to environmental tensions, conflicts, pressures and other stimuli ̋. In 2017, several

incidents on work-related stress were reported to have been affecting Filipino Workers. CNN PH

poll entitled Filipino Top Causes of Stress in 2017 reported that 23 percent of the Filipinos were

experiencing work-related stress such as management/ administrators, due dates, workload/ lot of

paper works, and sometimes co-worker (Ansis, 2017). Dealing with these types of stress as cited

in Philippine Inquirer article entitled ―Work-related stress affects one‘s life, dealing with it

essential. Stress is a reaction to a potential stressors (Roth & Cohen, 1986). A potential stressor is

an event which the potential causes stress. When a potential stressor is encountered, each

individual processes the event with coping mechanism.

According to Cozolino, 2017, teachers who suffer from burn out live with high level of

stress and lack of sense about their presence. The teachers develop a negative attitude and

become ineffective. As remote teaching or teaching under the new normal is new basically to

most of the teachers, performing such is not easy; thus has resulted to stress as a professional

burnout phenomenon which can be the result of performing a difficult task on longer period of

time (Cozolino, 2017). Other stressors for teachers performing this task include among others: 1)

Teachers without resources to discuss pandemics and uncertainties with their learners and who

are scrambling to go digital without much support and training; 2) Learners who are highly

anxious and lonely, unable to focus and worried about having an unnatural closure to the
academic; 3) Parents who are overwhelmed and unprepared to coach their kids about digital tools

and innovative educational practices, also trying to balance work and homeschooling; and 4) The

relationships among all these players, including the maintenance of positive-teacher-parent

rapport and encouraging collaborative learning and socialization that is so challenging online.

Adams (1999) found that the impacts of teachers stress can include implications for their

ability to teach, their personal lives, and their ability interactions with the pupils. Teacher stress

also is a major contribution factors to teachers burnout, causing teaching to have decreased

satisfaction with teaching and even choosing to leave the professional (Bong & Riding, 1991:

New-comb et al., 1987: Parlay et al., 1988)

Dr. Kisha Walker, an administrator in Walden University’s Richard W. Riley College of

Education and Leadership said, “It is essential to provide teachers with self-care strategies that

improve their overall well-being, which will also positively impact their students.” Many school

districts across the country focus heavily on attracting and hiring teachers. But that’s just part of

the equation, Dr. Walker says. Now more than ever, schools should also be thinking about

teacher retention and encouraging teachers to put strategies in place that can keep them healthy

and energized for teaching in the classroom. At a time when teachers are facing the challenges of

the impact of COVID-19—not just in their classrooms but in their daily lives—it is important

that they have the tools needed to support their mental, emotional, and physical wellness.

This research investigated teachers’ symptoms of stress, the factors and their coping

strategies. Measurements of ‘stress levels’ and ‘coping strategies’ used were obtained by

providing a modified survey questionnaire for the teachers. The collected data will be analyzed

by a series of correlational analyses that highlighted significant relationships between the stress

because of Covid-19 Pandemic and the ways on how to cope with it.
Review of Related Studies

Teaching is widely recognized as one of the most stressful professions (Johnson et al.,

2005; McIntyre, McIntyre, & Francis, 2017) with high burnout rates across the globe (Byrne,

1999; Farber, 1991; Unterbrink et al., 2007). The teachers faced many challenges especially with

regard to delivery of instructions since the approach is new to everyone due to the ‘new normal’

set-up. Further, teachers face significant social and political scrutiny as to how they do their jobs

(Goldstein, 2014). These contribute to the stress that the teachers are experiencing nowadays.

In many parts of the world, especially in the Philippines, the education systems have

decided to stop face-to-face classroom instruction to avoid the virus brought about by Covid-19.

This resulted to making a rapid conversion to online or remote teaching via synchronous and/or

asynchronous methods. One of the challenges of this conversion has something to do with the

availability of necessary digital devices, prior training in online teaching techniques, and/or

effective online learning support platforms. In most cases, teachers have not been trained in the

necessary technical and pedagogical skills to integrate digital technology instruction (Schleicher,

2020.)

Chris Kyriacou (2001) and others have argued that teacher stress is better understood as

resulting from a mismatch between the pressures and demands made on educators and their

ability to cope with those demands. Most of the teachers today feel that the new normal setting is

more difficult and burdensome compared to the traditional face-to-face classes. The pressure

becomes greater because of the so many tasks that need to be accomplished all at the same time.
 Kyriacou’s (2001) viewpoint on teacher stress came from a theory which was originally

proposed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman (1984). This has become one of the most

dominant models of stress among researchers who study about stress and coping strategies.

When teachers experience stress, they find ways to cope with that. Coping is defined as

any cognitive, emotional, or behavioral effort to address a potentially harmful stressor. (Folkman

& Lazarus, 1988).

Lazarus and Folkman (1984) in their influential ‘transactional model’ of stress and

behavioral self-regulation, they categorized the coping mechanism as problem-focused in which

there is a possibility to change the scenario or situation or emotion-focused wherein one knows

that he cannot change the situation anymore. Early research suggested that problem-focused was

preferable to emotion-focused coping for long-term, healthier psychological functioning, though

it is now recognized that most stressors elicit both types of coping (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019).

Folkman and Lazarus (1980) as cited in Carver et al. (1989) are of the opinion that even though

most stressors elicit both types of coping, problem-focused coping tends to predominate when

individuals feel that something constructive could be done. Emotion-focused coping tends to

predominate when people feel that the stressor must be endured.

To Anspaugh et al. (2003) dealing successfully with stress might require using different

types of techniques. Miller (1982) indicated that relaxation, breathing, refuting illogical or

irrational ideas, assertiveness, time management, maintaining good nutrition, exercise,

recreational activities and changing usual routines could go a long way to help people manage

stressful situations they went through. Professional counseling should be introduced to reduce

stress according to Ansah (2006).

Theoretical Framework

There are number of theories that may serve as bases of this study, one is the cognitive

theory of coping developed by Folkman and Lazarus (1988). This theory links the constructs

central to this study. The theory posits that portions of an individual's knowledge acquisition can

be directly related to observing others within the context of social interactions, experiences, and

outside media influences. According to Nyatsanza, Taurai D, et al, (2013) people do not learn

new behaviors solely by trying them and either succeeding or failing, but rather, the survival of

humanity is dependent upon the replication of the actions of others. Coping as a result is a

survival technique.

There are three meta-theoretical assumptions: transaction, process, and context. It is

assumed, first, that emotions occur as a specific encounter of the person with the environment

and that both exert a reciprocal influence on each other; second, that emotions and cognitions are

subject to continuous change; and third, that the meaning of a transaction is derived from the

underlying context, i.e., various attributes of a natural setting determine the actual experience of

emotions and the resulting action tendencies. Literature identifies relevant concepts related to

coping mechanisms used by teachers. These concepts include theories used to adapt coping

mechanisms used by students in dealing with stressful events.

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variables

EXTERNAL EVENTS: INTERNAL EVENTS:

Stressful Situations under •Coping Mechanisms of Teachers

the “New Normal” •Demographic Profile of Teachers

Covid 19 Pandemic
Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

The IV-DV Conceptual Framework model will be used in this study. The independent

variable (IV), which is stressful situations under the “new normal” will serve as the external

factors that may affect how teachers react and cope with these stressful situations.

Statement of the Problem

The general problem of this study is, “How do teachers of San Marcos Elementary School

manage to deal with stressful situations brought by distance learning?”

Specifically, this study sought answers to the following questions:

1. Which coping mechanism is mostly used in managing stressful events?

2. Is there a relationship in the use of any coping mechanism with the demographic profile

of teachers such as:

a. Age;

b. Gender;

c. Civil status;

d. Number of years teaching; and

e. Grade level taught?

3. What support does the institution offer to teachers in managing stressful situations?

Hypotheses
 The hypotheses of this study are stated as follows:

1. There is no

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study on coping mechanisms of the teachers of San Marcos

Elementary School will benefit the following:

Students. The students, specifically of San Marcos Elementary School, will indirectly

benefit from this study as the findings that will be revealed in this study will lead to a new

understanding of coping mechanisms to be used not just by their teachers.

Teachers. The findings of this study will contribute to knowledge about how distance

learning teachers cope with stressful events; thus results obtained in this research will be used to

improve the management of distance learning.

School Leaders. This study will have an impact in the educational progress of students

towards excellence in their future endeavour. This could be useful as reference in planning and

managing distance learning.

Future Researchers. This study may serve as their source of relevant and reliable related

literature, inspiration in conducting their studies and reference for future educational

improvements and researches.

Scope and Delimitation

 The thirty six (36) teachers of San Marcos Elementary School for School Year 2020-

2021 will be the main respondents of this study. These teachers all use distance learning as the

learning delivery modality. The participants are heterogeneous in terms of age and gender.

Definition of Terms

For better understanding of the study, the following terms are defined operationally and

conceptually:

Coping. Cognitive and behavioural effort a teacher employs to manage stress.

Coping Mechanism. Ways, consciously or unconsciously, in which how teachers handle

tension and pressure of their tasks.

Distance Learning. A learning delivery modality where a learner is given materials or

access to resources and he/she undertakes self-directed study at home or in another venue

New Normal. A current situation in education system that is different from what has

been experienced before but is expected to become usual.