Pandemic, Hybrid Teaching & Stress: Examining Indian Teachers' Sociotechnical Support Practices in Low-income Schools

TL;DR

This study explores how Indian teachers in low-income schools use sociotechnical support networks, especially smartphones, to manage stress during the shift to hybrid teaching caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contribution

It reveals the informal support practices adopted by teachers and highlights the gap in emotion-focused support, proposing ways to enhance teacher well-being.

Findings

Teachers rely on informal networks for support

Smartphones significantly facilitate support practices

Emotion-focused support is insufficient for teachers

Abstract

Support plays a vital role in the teaching profession. A good support system can empower teachers to regulate their emotions and effectively manage stress while working in isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a hybrid form of education, necessitating the acquisition of new skills by teachers and compelling them to adapt to remote teaching. This new development further amplifies the sense of isolation prevalent amongst the teaching community. Against this backdrop, our study investigates the availability of sociotechnical support infrastructures for teachers in low-income schools while also looking into the support practices embraced by this class of teachers following the pandemic. Through 28 qualitative interviews involving teachers, management and personnel from support organizations, we demonstrate how teachers have largely taken the initiative to establish their own informal support networks in the absence of formal support infrastructures. Smartphones have significantly augmented these support practices, serving as both a valuable source of support as well as a medium for facilitating support practices. However, in comparison to other forms of support received from these sources, the availability of emotion-focused support for teachers have proven to be inadequate, creating imbalances in their support seeking practices. Our paper provides different contextual ways to reduce these imbalances and improve the occupational well-being of teachers.