Put the Mask on Yourself First: Work-related Wellbeing of Preschool Teachers in the “New Normal

Öz

This single case study explores the preschool teachers’ work-related wellbeing regarding their satisfaction in adapting to the working conditions from the first incidence of the Covid-19 pandemic to recovery times in the “New Normal.” Teachers recruited as participants were eight preschool teachers working in private institutional preschools in İstanbul and Ankara. Data elicited from in-depth semi-structured interviews were analyzed in the cycling process, including the open, inductive, and deductive coding steps. Based on participants’ reflections, the pandemic’s timeline was divided into two splits: The first shock response and preparedness, as well as the recovery times. Following this timeline, the emergent indicators defining work-related wellbeing moved from negative to more positive as time passed. Situated within the socio-ecological framework, data analysis showed that preschool teachers’ wellbeing during the pandemic was affected by internal and external factors shaping personal and working life. Overall results pointed out that, before striving only for job requirements, teachers need to become capable of supporting their wellbeing in all layers of life by putting the masks on themselves first.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Work-related wellbeing
• preschool teacher
• covid-19 pandemic
• new normal
• socio-ecological framework

Maskeyi Önce Kendinize Takın: “Yeni Normal”de Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin İşle İlgili İyi Olma Halleri

Öz

Bu tek durum çalışması, okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin, Covid-19 pandemisinin ilk vakasının ortaya çıkmasından “Yeni Normal”deki iyileşme süreçlerine kadar çalışma koşullarına uyum sağlama konusundaki memnuniyetlerine ilişkin işle ilgili iyi olma hallerini araştırmaktadır. Katılımcı olarak seçilen öğretmenler İstanbul ve Ankara'daki özel kurumsal anaokullarında çalışan sekiz okul öncesi öğretmenidir. Derinlemesine yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler, açık, tümevarım ve tümdengelim kodlama adımlarını içeren döngü sürecinde analiz edilmiştir. Katılımcıların yansıtmalarına göre pandeminin zaman çizelgesi iki bölüme ayrılmıştır: İlk şok yanıtı ve hazırlık ile iyileşme süreleri. Bu zaman çizelgesini takiben, işle ilgili iyi olma halini tanımlamada ortaya çıkan göstergeler, zaman geçtikçe olumsuzdan daha olumluya kaymıştır. Sosyo-ekolojik çerçeve içinde yer alan veri analizleri, pandemi sırasında okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin iyi olma hallerinin kişisel ve çalışma hayatını şekillendiren iç ve dış faktörlerden etkilendiğini göstermiştir. Genel sonuçlar, öğretmenlerin sadece iş gereksinimleri için çabalamadan önce, maskeleri ilk önce kendilerine takarak yaşamın tüm katmanlarında iyi olma hallerini destekleme yeteneğine sahip olmaları gerektiğine işaret etmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İşle ilgili iyi olma hali
• okul öncesi öğretmeni
• covid-19 pandemisi
• yeni normal
• sosyo-ekolojik çerçeve

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