Teachers who report experiencing symptoms of depression teach their classes differently than their peers, according to new research.
The study, , looked at 32 3rd grade teachers and their 326 students across eight schools in north Florida. Researchers observed classroom literacy instruction three times over the course of the year.
The researchers collected teachers鈥� self-reported depressive symptoms using questions from an adapted version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale鈥攁 screening test for clinical depression鈥攖hat were integrated into a survey about teachers鈥� experiences and perspectives on their profession. (Most of the teachers鈥�92 percent鈥攚ere white, which the researchers said may limit the scope of the study, as teachers from underrepresented backgrounds could have different experiences.)
Teachers in the study who reported more depressive symptoms on the survey spent less time in two specific types of instruction: teacher-led whole group instruction, and what the researchers call 鈥減lanning/organizing instruction,鈥� which includes activities like giving directions, setting classroom norms, or explaining a new task or assignment. The relationship with depressive symptoms was especially strong for this second type of instruction.
While this study doesn鈥檛 demonstrate that depression causes teachers to use some teaching stratgies more often than others, the researchers say the link between symptoms and instructional choices is significant. It鈥檚 possible that teachers who have more depressive symptoms may be choosing to teach lessons that require less energy, the researchers write.
鈥淎 teacher who uses a lot of planning and organizing instruction is also a teacher who has planned activities that are complex enough to warrant explanation to the students,鈥� said Leigh McLean, the lead author of the study, and a postdoctoral research associate in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University.
Teachers with depression may be less able to do this kind of advance planning, she said. 鈥淒epression is really associated with these huge feelings of fatigue and this lack of ability to put forth a lot of effort.鈥�
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This study builds on research McLean , which found a link between teacher mental health and student performance. In that study, 3rd graders whose teachers reported more depressive symptoms showed lower math achievement than students in classes whose teachers reporter fewer depressive symptoms.
Other studies support the idea that teacher well-being has an effect on student outcomes. A 2014 report published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that in the students they work with. In a 2017 study from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, teachers who exhibited higher levels of stress at the beginning of the school year were observed to use fewer effective teaching strategies in the classroom.
McLean says her research demonstrates that teachers need better access to mental health resources as part of their training.
Teachers in the U.S. have access to many opportunities to improve their instruction, says McLean, but few to support their emotional well-being. Last year, as part of Education Week鈥榮 special report on teachers鈥� social-emotional competence, my colleague Madeline Will reported that very few teacher-preparation programs work with preservice teachers to identify and talk about their feelings, or how to manage stress.
See also: Happy Teachers Practice Self-Care
Professional development that focuses solely on pedagogy 鈥渕ight be lost on a teacher who鈥檚 having more difficulties with their mental health,鈥� said McLean. 鈥淭hey could take in the information, but they may lack the energy and the resources to actually implement that in the classroom.鈥�
McLean said she would like to see more professional-development opportunities that are a 鈥渕arriage between instructional interventions and teacher well-being interventions,鈥� integrating concepts like emotional regulation, resilience, stress relief, and mindfulness into preservice training and continuous development.
鈥淭eachers need infinitely more support than they currently receive, and we鈥檙e hoping that this study can provide more compelling evidence that systems of support should be implemented,鈥� said McLean. 鈥淣ot only for teachers鈥� sake, but for students鈥� sake as well.鈥�
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