Emotional difficulties and societal influences as predictors of work-from-home productivity among elementary teachers during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to determine if the emotional difficulties and the societal influences significantly predict the work-from-home productivity of elementary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher employed the quantitative non-experimental design using causal effect technique with Regression Analysis. The total sample size of the study was 300 elementary school teachers. Respondents were elementary school teachers from selected public elementary schools in Tagum City Division for the school year 2021-2022. Data analysis included Average Weighted Mean, Pearson-r, and Multiple Regression Analysis as statistical tools. The final analysis revealed that the level of emotional difficulties is low, while the levels of societal influence and work-from-home productivity are both high. Moreover, it was also found that there is a significant relationship between emotional difficulties and work-from-home productivity among elementary teachers, as well as between societal influences and work-from-home productivity. Furthermore, it was revealed that under emotional difficulties, only anxiety and stress can significantly predict work-from-home while under societal influences, only social desirability can significantly predict work-from-home productivity. Based on the findings, it has been recommended to recognize signs of emotional distress, including feelings of meaninglessness, among students and to provide training to teachers on recognizing and managing anxiety, particularly in situations where they might feel vulnerable or self-conscious.