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This work examines the emerging profile of teachers in a post-COVID-19 era based on its current impact on their careers and experiences
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.Introduction 2.Impact of the Pandemic on Teachers 2.1.Loss of Employment and Income 2.2.Increase in Stress, anxiety and Burnouts 2.3.Stall in Career and Professional Development 3.The Emerging Profile of Teachers in Post COVID-19 Era 4.The Level of Preparedness in the Global South 5.Conclusion 6.References 2
1.INTRODUCTION Today the world has found itself in a complicated situation with much uncertainties and limited knowledge on how to navigate. This situation has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the whole world since the start of the year 2020. The pandemic has resulted in the closure of key sectors of the economy, including the education sector with schools and higher learning institutions closed globally, therefore, affecting approximately 1.5 billion learners and 63 million educators, including primary and secondary school teachers as well as the tertiary institutions, lecturers and tutors. The pandemic has left teachers struggling on the edge trying to balance between uncertainty, stagnating career and profession, and whether their skills may remain relevant in the post- COVID-19 era. In this article, we examine the emerging profile of teachers in a post-Covid- 19 era based on its current impact on teachers' career and experience. 3
2.IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON TEACHERS The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected teachers. Schools have been closed to contain the pandemic, therefore, forcing teachers to stay home. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers include loss of employment and income; increase in stress and anxiety; burnouts; and stalling career and professional development. 2.2 Loss of Employment and Income As the schools closed, learning in most non-developed countries stopped. This led to laying off of teachers who were working on a temporary contract basis, and those from private schools whose owners have opted to completely shut them down for good. In some private schools, teachers have faced pay-cuts and living with uncertainties on whether their employers will sustain paying them in the coming months with no income being generated. Loss of jobs and income for teachers is more rampant in undeveloped countries because they lack facilities and adequate skills to implement online learning. A report by the Global Partnership for Education (2020) indicated only 11% of households in Sub-Saharan Africa as having computers, 18% of the households having accessibility to the internet, while 26 million students lack mobile network coverage. 4
2.3 Increase in Stress, anxiety and Burnouts Stress due to economic uncertainty has been felt across the world. Teachers are also facing anxiety concerning the future and more concerns about the safety of their family and loved ones. In developed and rapid developing countries where home learning has successfully been implemented, teachers are facing much burnout as they are working with an extremely new learning model they had not prepared for. The teachers are getting a crash course in working on computers all day as well as scheduling up their time to manage both family and teaching from home (Fleming, 2020). This situation has even been worse for teachers who had inadequate skills in using online learning systems. 2.4 Stall in Career and Professional Development Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of teachers are experiencing a stall in their career as well as professional development. This is common in countries where education has completely stalled due to the pandemic. Trained teachers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic are likely to shift permanently to other careers that will support a stable income (Estyn, 2019). Teachers remaining in the teaching profession are facing a challenge in developing their profession. Usually, school managements identify teachers’ needs and areas of interest in a way to support their professional development through training and skill acquisition (Estyn, 2019). According to Soe development enhances the quality of education and skills provided by teachers. However, with the pandemic and uncertainties on when schools will fully re-open, professional development will remain to be a challenge. In this case, the quality of education provided in the education sector is likely to deteriorate. (2018), professional 5
3.THE EMERGING PROFILE OF TEACHERS IN POST COVID-19 ERA The impact of COVID-19 pandemic will be felt by the education sector for many years to come, and this requires the teaching profession to gain a new normal. Developing countries in Africa have until the strike of the pandemic, been improving in their education sector. However, the sector is more likely to be destabilized by the impacts of the pandemic (Mohamedbhai, 2020). After the pandemic, most learning institutions are likely to opt for blended learning approaches which will necessitate them having new skills. In this case, online learning is likely to be implemented together with traditional in-class learning. This means that teachers in the post- CIVID-19 era will be required to obtain skills in online learning and technology. As part of professional development, learning institutions and main education stakeholders will have to train teachers on using new technology in achieving online learning . 6
Besides technological skills, teachers will be required to have additional psychological skills that will help them manage students. Teachers will encounter students who lost their loved ones and families due to the pandemic, and they will require empathy, understanding and support. Besides, some teachers will encounter students who have stayed for long without learning. In this case, they need adequate skills to help the students catch up from where they left and integrating back to the learning environment. Teachers will also have an additional role of guiding parents and supporting the learning of students once schools close for holidays. In such a case, parents will have to be guided on how to deliver and manage informal play-based learning while students will be supported through distance learning throughout their curriculum (Global Partnership for Education, 2020). 4.The Level of Preparedness in the Global South The level of preparedness for the post-COVID-19 era in the global south, including Africa is low. This is because, in these countries, there is an inadequate distribution of technological facilities required in implementing online learning, as well as the requisite skills. For instance, the number of households with access to computers in Sub-Saharan Africa is extremely low at 11%; similarly, the number of households with access to the internet is low at 18%. Additionally, more than 26 million students are in areas not covered with mobile networks (Global Partnership for Education, 2020). Even though there is low preparation for the post-COVID-19 era in the education sector, there are efforts put in place to support transition. For instance, a global focusing more on third world countries has been formulated by UNESCO including Nation (UN) agencies, telecom and network service distance education and IT companies. the coalition (2020) United producers, 7
5.Conclusion In the early months of this year (2020), the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world by surprise, thus causing the closure of most learning institutions. This affected teachers mostly on third world countries whose income heavily relied on education. Many teachers in these countries have lost employment and income; experienced increased levels of stress, anxiety and burnout, and stalling career and professional development. No doubt, the post-COVID-19 era will create a new normal for teachers. The teachers will have a wider scope of roles, including administering online classes, guiding parents and supporting students for home learning during holidays. Therefore, the article concludes that the emerging profile of teachers in the post-COVID-19 era is education professionals whose roles and mandate will be wide and increased than the current normal. 6.References Estyn (2019). The impact of professional development. Retrieved 9 July 2020 from https://www.estyn.gov.wales/effective-practice/impact-professional-development Fleming, N. (2020). Curbing Teacher Burnout During the Pandemic. Edutopia. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/curbing-teacher-burnout- during- pandemic Global Partnership for Education (2020). Releasing the potential of teachers in the COVID response in low-income countries. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/releasing-potential-teachers-covid-response-low-income- countries Mohamedbhai. G. (2020). COVID-19: What consequences for higher education? University World News: African Edition. Retrieved July 9, 2020, from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200407064850279 Soe, H. (2018). The Impact of Teachers' Professional Development on the Teachers' Instructional Practices: An Analysis of TALIS 2013 Teacher Questionnaire, Finland. Retrieved 9 July 2020 from https://www.worldcces.org/article-7-by-soe/the-impact-of-teachers-professional- development-on-the-teachers-instructional-practices-an-analysis-of-talis-2013-teacher- questionnaire-finland UNESCO (2020), Global Partners' Meeting of the Teachers/Teaching and Learning Cluster of the Education Response to COVID-19 coordinated by UNESCO Nairobi/IICBA/IITE, 28 April 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020, from https://en.unesco.org/news/global-partners-meeting-teachersteaching-and-learning-cluster- education-response-covid-19 8
