Teachers’ Work-Life Balance in Emergency Remote Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Abstract, Findings, and Implications

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

Teachers’ work-life balance during emergency remote teaching was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic’s forced shift to working from home. The study examines how blurred boundaries, inadequate home workspace, irregular working hours, lack of organizational support, and role conflicts hindered teachers from sustaining desired balance. Using phenomenological design with semi-structured interviews of 11 purposively sampled teachers and content analysis, the research identifies challenges and coping approaches and highlights consequences for well-being. It also provides managerial implications for crisis response and human resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Highlights

What is already known about this topic

What this paper contributes

Implications for theory, practice and/or policy

Introduction

Teachers’ Work-Life Balance in Emergency Remote Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic Ilgın Ünal, Sabiha Dulay Abstract: The balance between personal life and work life is essential to achieve desired outcomes. However, the COVID-19 global pandemic changed the way people live and work and affected schools like other organizations. Teachers were expected to work from home and adapt to the tools and technologies used in distance education. Working from home has blurred the borders between work and personal life and might affect the work-life balance adversely. Although there are studies based on the work-life balance of academicians , there is a gap lack of in the experiences of teachers on work-life balance during emergency remote teaching, especially those who worked at private schools. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify teachers’ experiences on work-life balance in emergency remote teaching. The current study was designed as phenomenological research. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 11 teachers who were selected through the purposive sampling. The obtained data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that there were two themes as (i) challenges for work-life balance and (ii) ways of maintaining a work-life balance. It was found that the teachers, who had to work from home, did not maintain a balance between personal life and work because of such challenges as inadequacy of workspace, irregularity of working hours, lack of support and role conflicts. Consequently, they failed to achieve the desired outcomes of work and individual lives which adversely affected their well-being. Besides, working from home and distance education seem likely to continue even after the pandemic has ended. Hence, this study will provide practical and managerial implication for human resources, crisis management and work-life balance. Keywords: work-life balance, Covid-19 pandemic, distance education, working from home , emergency remote teaching. Highlights What is already known about this topic: • The literature identifies the measures taken in the pandemic such as emergency remote teaching and working from home. • Recent studies indicate that working from home has had a significantly negative impact on individuals by blurring the borders between their work and personal life. What this paper contributes: • Teachers faced different challenges such as inadequacy of workspace, irregularity of working hours, lack of support and role conflicts which prevented them from maintaining a work-life balance. • Organizational supports and teachers’ commitment to their profession were identified as important stimulants of work-life balance during the COVID-19. Implications for theory, practice and/or policy: • The findings emphasize the need for further studies discussing excessive workload and lack of organizational support considering the obstacles such as workspace, role conflicts and infrastructure. • There is a need for similar studies at different schools by including family members and other stakeholders since they can provide a broader perspective on the work-life balance and a supportive working culture for remote working conditions. Introduction Establishing a balance between work and personal life is essential for a balanced, happy and successful life. Regardless of their social status in society, every individual strives to balance his or her work and personal life. However, due to the conditions getting harder every day, it is getting more difficult for individuals to maintain this balance with only their own efforts (Lockwood, 2003), especially in the period of COVID-19, during which the boundaries between home and work have disappeared (Rawal, 2021) . While establishing a healthy balance between their professional and personal life plays a critical role in the success of individuals, the process of working from home, which became more wides

FAQs

What prompted the study on teachers’ work-life balance during the pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic changed working and living conditions, forcing teachers to work from home and adapt to distance education tools. The paper notes a gap in teachers’ experiences, especially for those working at private schools.

How was the study conducted?

The study uses a phenomenological research design. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 11 purposively sampled teachers and analyzed through content analysis.

What challenges affected teachers’ work-life balance?

Teachers reported difficulties such as inadequate workspace, irregular working hours, lack of support, and role conflicts. These challenges prevented them from maintaining personal-work balance and adversely affected well-being.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran