Coping with stress among academic staff in times of crisis

Key findings from this study

• The study found that resilience emerged as the most robust predictor of lower stress among academic staff, whereas self-efficacy, social-emotional competencies, and digital skills did not demonstrate significant independent effects on stress reduction.
• The researchers report that women faculty reported lower resilience levels than men, suggesting gendered patterns in psychological resource availability during institutional crisis.
• The authors found that prior online teaching experience associated with both lower perceived stress and higher resilience among academics transitioning to emergency remote teaching.

Overview

This study examined associations between psychological and professional resources and perceived stress among academic faculty during emergency remote teaching transition at a multicultural teacher-training college in Israel. The research applied Conservation of Resources theory to understand how internal capacities and external supports influenced stress responses during institutional crisis.

Methods and approach

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design integrated quantitative and qualitative data. Researchers collected survey responses from 83 faculty members measuring perceived stress, resilience, self-efficacy, social-emotional competencies, and digital skills. Fourteen academics participated in semi-structured interviews to explore coping mechanisms and processes.

Results

Quantitative analysis revealed moderate perceived stress levels paired with relatively strong coping resources among respondents. Resilience functioned as the strongest independent predictor of lower stress in regression modeling. Self-efficacy, social-emotional competencies, and digital skills showed no significant independent effects on stress reduction. Gender differences emerged, with women reporting lower resilience levels. Prior online teaching experience correlated with both lower stress and higher resilience.

Qualitative findings expanded understanding of coping processes through narratives emphasizing self-awareness, relational support, and institutional professional development. Participants described how these elements sustained adaptation during the transition to emergency remote teaching. The interviews revealed culturally specific coping narratives, though the modest sample size requires cautious interpretation of these cultural differences.

Implications

The prominence of resilience as a stress-protective factor suggests that institutional interventions targeting resilience development may enhance faculty adaptation during crisis transitions. Programs addressing self-awareness and relational support networks warrant investment, as qualitative data highlighted their roles in sustaining coping despite quantitative measures not capturing independent effects on stress reduction.

The gender disparity in resilience levels indicates need for gender-responsive support strategies within higher education institutions. Prior online teaching experience demonstrated protective associations, suggesting that professional development in digital pedagogy may serve dual functions: reducing immediate stress and building resilience for future crises. Institutions should consider how cultural contexts shape coping narratives when designing crisis response frameworks.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.