Educators’ Self-Efficacy, Work Engagement, and Mental Health in the Transition to On-Line or Remote Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on all sectors of education globally, but the full extent of that impact is yet to be understood. To build our understanding of the effects of the pandemic and its associated lockdowns on educators, this study set out to examine educators perceived self-efficacy, work engagement and mental health during the period when classes were transitioned to an online, away-from-school or off-campus mode of delivery. Data were collected through an online survey, distributed via social media and a snowball approach. The study found that the levels of self-efficacy, work engagement and mental health during on-line and remote work differed between educational sectors and between genders. The paper concludes by considering implications for educational institutions in times of crisis.