Dra. Sáez-Delgado, Fabiola

Emergency remote teaching (ERE) triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to higher education institutions worldwide. Although it had several negative consequences, it also enabled advances in the integration of technology into the teaching and learning process. The purpose of this study was to examine and characterize the key elements of the process of returning to face-to-face courses. The study was based on a mixed quantitative and qualitative design. 631 students from Chile, Venezuela, and Colombia were surveyed about their experiences returning to face-to-face classes (in terms of virtual tools, their feelings, and their expectations for academic success). The survey also included questions about the lockdown caused by the pandemic, specifically regarding instructional and didactic design, participation in online sessions, and the role of faculty during the pandemic. Descriptive and correlative analyses were performed to examine relationships among variables. Qualitative data were analyzed within a hermeneutically-oriented framework. Our analyses show that virtual classrooms or learning management systems (LMS) continued to be used after the pandemic. However, their use is strongly associated with a more traditional approach to teaching; LMSs and virtual classrooms are primarily used as filing locations and for receiving and storing homework assignments and assessments. In terms of interaction, qualitative analyses have shown that relationships with faculty and between students are better in face-to-face classes and that there is not much difference in perceptions of collaborative work in online learning compared to face-to-face classes. Finally, students' expectations of academic success are low in the short term, while they are higher in the long term. Students also indicated that it is important to them that teachers take care about the didactic design of the course, including strategies that encourage interaction and participation in both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. In addition, students mentioned that teachers should incorporate strategies to promote academic motivation, self-regulation, and a safe environment. An important finding of this study is that students prefer a blended learning format when comparing online and face-to-face instruction. This article also provides recommendations for the new post-pandemic education scenario.

Introduction. Even before the pandemic began, teachers faced multiple challenges such as diverse student populations with widely varying needs, excessive workloads, lack of community support, and adverse working conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these problems. The teachers have been increasingly susceptible to stress, anxiety, and depression. The objective of this research was to evaluate the mediation effect of coping strategies on the relationship between emotional intelligence and teachers' mental health. Method. The design was explanatory with latent cross-sectional variables. The sample was 1668 Chilean school level teachers, 331 (19.8%) were men, and 1337 (80.2%) were women; the mean age was 42.08 years (SD = 11.50). Three scale self-report were used: the emotional intelligence WLEIS, the scale DASS-21 was used to measure mental health levels y, the short version of the COPE-28, for coping strategies. Results. This study showed that high levels of anxiety, depression, and stress are significantly related to the lower emotional intelligence of teachers. The strongest relationships are between mental health variables and the emotional intelligence evaluation and regulation of emotions. The results indicated that the dimensions of emotional intelligence predicted 22%, 26%, and 23% of the variance in anxiety, depression, and stress, respectively. The estimated mediation model showed satisfactory fit indices. For anxiety, active coping and religion were mediated, and for stress, substance abuse, self-distraction and disengagement were mediated. Also, the results showed indirect effects of two maladaptive coping strategies (denial and self-blame) between the relationship of emotional intelligence the dimensions and depression, anxiety, and stress. Discussion and Conclusion. Explanatory models can be the basis for specific strategies to treat stress, anxiety, and depression in teachers. Considering the importance of the teaching role, the results of this study are useful to guide intervention actions that strengthen the management of emotions and the identification and use of effective coping strategies for the promotion of mental health.