Blood and ink: A qualitative inquiry of teacher well-being in post-pandemic Oklahoma

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic public schools were at the center of political debate related to educational content and curricula. Some conservative states moved to place tighter controls on schools in these dimensions with anecdotal evidence suggesting a negative effect on teacher well-being by this policy paradigm. Empirical study of this narrative is largely nonexistent in the literature leaving a need for studies on how controlling policies may interact with teacher well-being. To address this gap in the literature, this study performed 30 semi-structured interviews with public school English and Social Studies teachers in Oklahoma to see how they describe their well-being in a controlling post-pandemic state policy environment. Oklahoma is an ideal setting for this study as its different legislative bodies implemented key curricular controls immediately following the pandemic. Oklahoma is also a state that has struggled with teacher retention, studied achievement, and broader social issues in recent years. The study’s main findings suggest that teachers, regardless of their political persuasion, view state controls over their work as damaging to their well-being. Teachers also described policies designed by people far removed from the daily work of schools more negatively and expressed that such policies may interact more negatively with their well-being. Findings also suggest that leadership characteristics may shield teachers’ well-being from state controlling policies, but that supportive leadership may be insufficient over time in a controlling state policy environment as controls tend to inevitably “trickle down” to the classroom level. These findings may contribute to the literature on the teaching profession by advancing knowledge about how teacher identity and well-being interact with state policies. As such, this work may inform the practice of policymakers and school leaders facing challenges of teacher burnout and shortages.