Coping strategies of primary school teachers in Serbia during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The main limitations of this research include the predominantly female sample, the inability to compare the use of coping strategies before and during the pandemic, and the lack of examination of correlates/predictors and implications of coping strategies. Nonetheless, our results revealed that during the first semester of the school year of 2020/21, teachers used positive coping strategies to the greatest extent. That said, the use of negative coping strategies was not negligible, especially among older teachers. This issue merits greater attention, bearing in mind the association of negative coping strategies with a worse well-being of teachers and the undesirable implications for students’ academic results and well-being. Examining this issue would provide valuable insights into how best to support teachers in situations of heightened stress. Finally, learning how to cope with stress is an invaluable skill that all teacher education programs should integrate as a fundamental professional competence (MacIntyre, Gregersen & Mercer, 2020).