Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association
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Educational Research & Development Journal
Summer 2026, Volume 29, Number 1
Teacher Appraisals, Principal Leadership, and School Context Predicting Post-COVID Occupational Health |
| Yijie Tian, Christopher McCarthy, Richard Lambert, Trisha Miller |
Abstract |
| Teaching remains a demanding profession, with challenges intensified after COVID-19. Although pre-pandemic research identified teacher appraisals of classroom demands and resources, together with school leadership, as important correlates of occupational health, it remains unclear whether these relationships persisted following the educational disruptions associated with COVID-19. Using district-wide survey data from 1,908 teachers across 47 schools in 2021–2022, this study examined classroom demands, resources, teacher appraisals, Instructional Support, Job Satisfaction, leadership, and school context using multilevel modeling. Most variation occurred within schools rather than between schools. Teachers in high-poverty schools reported poorer occupational health, while those in schools with more racially minoritized students reported better occupational outcomes after accounting for level of poverty. Leadership quality and stability showed weaker associations than pre-pandemic studies, suggesting structural inequities may outweigh leadership effects during large-scale disruption. |
| Full Text: PDF |
ISSN: 1526-8659