Abstract:
Several professionals, including teachers, have been engrossed in fear of the worst happening due to COVID-19 and the rapidly evolving nature of the virus affecting the perception of safety in any working environment. This study examined teachers� perception of classroom safety, anxiety, and coping strategies during instructional delivery in senior high schools in Ghana. Adopting the cross-sectional survey design with a quantitative approach, a convenient sample of 174 senior high school teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis completed a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression. The findings showed that teachers perceived their classroom environment as unsafe during instructional delivery amidst COVID-19 and reported modest to extreme levels of anxiety. Further, teachers with a high level of COVID-19 anxiety were found to utilize active coping strategies to manage stressful situations. The reported unsafe working environment in schools during pandemic times highlights the critical role of supportive working environments for teachers� mental and psychological wellness. School counseling psychologists, school welfare officers, and school health coordinators should collaborate to implement interventions (e.g., social emotional learning; resilience strategies) that promote the wellbeing of teachers and a safe working environment. � 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Description:
Quansah, F., Department of Educational Foundations, University of Education, P.O. Box 25, Winneba, Ghana; Frimpong, J.B., Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, PMB TF0494, P.O. Box 5007, Cape Coast, Ghana; Sambah, F., Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, PMB TF0494, P.O. Box 5007, Cape Coast, Ghana; Oduro, P., Department of Special Education, University of Education, P.O. Box 25, Winneba, Ghana; Anin, S.K., Department of Industrial and Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Takoradi Technical University, P.O. Box 256, Takoradi, Ghana; Srem-Sai, M., Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, University of Education, P.O. Box 25, Winneba, Ghana; Hagan, J.E., Jr., Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, PMB TF0494, P.O. Box 5007, Cape Coast, Ghana, Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Postfach 10 01 31, Bielefeld, 33501, Germany; Schack, T., Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Postfach 10 01 31, Bielefeld, 33501, Germany