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, theinability to compare the use of coping strategies before and during the pandemic, andthe lack of examination of correlates/predictors and implications of coping strategies.Nonetheless, our results revealed that during the first semester of the school year of2020/21, teachers used positive coping strategies to the greatest extent. That said, theuse of negative coping strategies was not negligible, especially among older teachers.This issue merits greater attention, bearing in mind the association of negative copingstrategies with a worse well-being of teachers and the undesirable implications for students’ academic results and well-being. Examining this issue would provide valuableinsights 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 programsshould integrate as a fundamental professional competence (MacIntyre, Gregersen &Mercer, 2020).