Stress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic : experiences of special needs and learning support educators

dc.contributor.authorMthembu, Mpho Princess
dc.contributor.authorFinestone, Michelle
dc.contributor.emailmpho.mthembu@up.ac.za
dc.date.accessioned2025-05-28T12:30:53Z
dc.date.available2025-05-28T12:30:53Z
dc.date.issued2024-11-28
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that contributed to stress and anxiety in special needs and learning support educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used qualitative methodology, incorporating semi-structured interviews, a qualitative questionnaire, and a focus group discussion for data collection. Ten special education and learning support teachers from special schools, and full-service schools in the Gauteng province, in South Africa were sampled for the study. Using interpretive phenomenology to analyse the data gathered for this study, it was discovered that special needs and learning support educators experienced stress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic because of (a) an increase in workload; (b) adapting traditional face-to-face methods of teaching to online education; (c) teacher and parent collaboration, and (d) implementing COVID-19 regulations in a special needs classroom. The study proposes several recommendations, including the enhancement of teacher preparation for online pedagogical methods, the provision of psychological support services, the improvement of parental communication channels, and the promotion of curricular flexibility. Emphasis is placed on appropriate resource allocation, professional development workshops, and the implementation of online counseling services to identify challenges. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding the coping mechanisms employed by SETs and LSEs during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it underscores the need for comprehensive support systems and adequate resource provision to enable educators to effectively perform their roles under adverse circumstances.
dc.description.departmentEducational Psychology
dc.description.librarianom2025
dc.description.sdgSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.description.sdgSDG-04: Quality Education
dc.description.sdgSDG-10: Reduces inequalities
dc.description.sponsorshipDepartment of Educational Psychology, University of Pretoria.
dc.description.urihttps://noyam.org/journals/ehass/
dc.identifier.citationMthembu, M. & Finestone, M. 2024, 'Stress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic : experiences of special needs and learning support educators', E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, vol. 5, no.14, art. 7, pp. 2534-2547, doi : 10.38159/ehass.20245147.
dc.identifier.issn2821-8949 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2720-7722 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.38159/ehass.20245147
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/102565
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherNoyam Journals
dc.rights© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license.
dc.subjectSpecial needs
dc.subjectLearning support
dc.subjectInterpretive phenomenology
dc.subjectCOVID-19 pandemic
dc.subjectCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
dc.titleStress and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic : experiences of special needs and learning support educators
dc.typeArticle

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