Secondary School Teachers’ Resiliency Amidst COVID 19 Pandemic

Achieving quality education is nonetheless the welfare among teachers. This study ascertains the effectiveness of Mindful Awareness Training among teacher-leaders resiliency in public secondary schools in the Philippines amidst pandemics. The participants of this study were subjected to a 10-minute training of mindful awareness at their own convenient time each day that is good for one week. They were asked to give their opinion before and after the training to determine the effectiveness of the said model. This study is a one-group quantitative design and utilized descriptive and non-parametric analyses. It found that Mindful Awareness Training is effective in the development of teachers’ resiliency levels. It helps teachers to boost their confidence in facing pandemic crises like COVID-19.


Introduction
Normally, a teaching job requires a sincere passion for improving society and directing the lives of young students. But in the new normal, it needs more serious directions to perform such corresponding duties and responsibilities. Hence, a teacher-leader must be resilient during the time of the pandemic. There were some secondary teachers felt uncomfortable that result in panic and nervousness. They anxiously of becoming positive for COVID-19 virus (Al-Mansour & Al-Ajmi, 2020). Eventually, their passion for improving learners' progress would somehow be affected. This sense of purpose motivates the researchers to look beyond reason to encapsulate the fear of becoming the victims of this deadly virus and turn this into constructive outlook of life. Thus, we recognize that strong teachers are teachers who have the resiliency to continue the learning plan of the school and contribute to the greater good of society.
Evidently, according to Zadok-Gurman et al. (2021) this global pandemic has had a major impact on teachers professional and personal lives. They stressed out that in order to address such emergent effects of pandemic, they were investigated and assessed using the so called blended Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) (Macon, 2014). In their article, the effects were measured through the emerging mindfulness and cognitive reframing intervention on teacher's well-being. They also aimed to assess the effect of IBSR on resilience, burnout, mindfulness, and stress among teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the use of IBSR, it blends towards the intervention that were enhanced the resilience and improved the subjective and psychological well-being of teachers amidst COVID-19 pandemic (Agaibi, 2018). Zadok-Gurman et al. (2021) confirmed that the results of their study showed that an IBSR intervention may be a viable approach to enhancing teachers' well-being and resilience, as well as the ability to flourish, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other end, Adhikari (2020)  to teachers emotional stability is their willingness to revitalize their profession to adapt to the virtual environment. Thus, Adhikari maintained that the teachers have demonstrated strong transformation to turn things from unpleasant to pleasantly perspectives and even lockdown period.
On the other end, the phillippine education system through the Department of Education (DepEd) released an issuance through Departmant Order No. 012, s. 2020, which is the adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for the school year 2020-2021 in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency in which, it provides clear guidance to all schools under DepEd including its stakeholders for the purpose of this intervention, which is to ensure the following principles: (a) Protect the health, and well-being of learners, teachers, and school personnel that prevent further transmission of COVID-19, and (b) Ensure learning continuity through K to 12 curriculum adjustments, alignment of learning materials, deployment of multiple learning delivery modalities, provision of corresponding training for teachers and school leaders, and proper orientation of parents or guardians of learners (Chamratrithirong et al., 2010). To respond to its aims and principles, teacher-leader resiliency is vital towards the implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) amidst COVID-19.
In the light of this, the teacher-researchers had utilized Mindful Awareness Training model to get back to their focus and remain attentive. When focus increases, it increases self-awareness and develops humility, which gives way to compassion and turns around towards mindfulness (Hougaard et al., 2020). Thus, this study would likely a great help to address the teacherleaders resiliency and eventually prepare them in times of crises, challenges, adversities, and even global pandemics like COVID-19.

Methods
This one group quantitative non-parametric research design presents its participants, sources of data, information, and methods of data gathering.

Participants and/or other Sources of Data and Information
In this study, the teacher-participants had gone an intensive engagement by following the basic steps of mindfulness training assessment for them to evaluate their mental capabilities. The assessment were transcribed categorically and were analyzed using non-parametric statistical instrument to determine the effectiveness of the intervention from 33 teacher-respondents in secondary schools. The McNemar Change Test was utilized to determine the significance of the training model.

Data Gathering Methods
The researchers had constructed a template to evaluate the consistency of opinion among secondary school teachers. A demographic profile was also included in the survey instrument. This includes gender, years in teaching, and age.

Data Analysis
The descriptive and statistical non-parametric measures intended for data analysis, findings, and interpretations had been logically employed. The non-parametric measures such as McNemar Change Test had been utilized in this study. The researchers had used a survey instrument to determine the significance of the Mindfulness Awareness Training of Hougaard et al. (2020).
This one group non-parametric design utilizes two related measures that were taken from their opinions on their resiliency that was done before and after the training of the Mindfulness Awareness Training Model. Table 1 shows the total number of participants which consists of thirty-three (33) teachers of Jaclupan National High School. Among the respondents are 5 males and 28 females. As to the age profile, the majority of the respondents are from the age range of 25-30 years old while the least number of participants are at the age range of 51 years old and above. In relation to teaching positions and years in service, 54 percent of the participants are teacher 1. Furthermore, 61 percent of the respondents have been in the service for less than 10 years.  Table 2 describes the level of resiliency as perceived among the secondary school teachers. Descriptive measures were used to establish the level of teachers' resiliency in terms of level, awareness, and interest and willingness among secondary school teachers. The three areas were measured on a scale of 1 to 10. The lowest scale is 1 and interpreted as poor, while 10 is the highest that is interpreted as excellent.

Demographic Information
The table shows that teachers' level of resiliency got a mean of 7.3636 with SD = 1.5972. While in the area of awareness, it has a mean of 7.9394 with SD = 1.2976. On the other end, under the area of interest and willingness, it has the highest mean of 8.8182 with SD = 1.5703. This implies that there was enough basis to say that resiliency can be attained, acquired, and developed by way of mental health training like what had been offered by the Mindfulness Awareness Training model. Table 3 below shows the significance of the mindfulness-awareness training model that was given to the participants to help them improve their resiliency level. The test was at the level 0.05 alpha.  Table 3 shows the result of the responses of the 33 respondents who were participated in this study. Before the training was conducted, 10 participants agreed that the training on resiliency was not needed at their present resiliency level because they believe they have enough capability to fight crises like COVID 19 pandemic and do not need any intervention like Mindful Awareness Training, while 23 of them acknowledged that they needed to undergo the training. On the other hand, after the training was conducted to the participants, some had changed their opinion. Nine (9) respondents agreed previously that changed to Disagree while only 1 respondent from Disagree to Agree. This means that 9 of them believe that they don't need such resiliency training at the start but later on after the training, they are persuaded that they need such kind of resiliency training. from Agree to Disagree. This means that this participant believes that she doesn't need such resiliency training. In addition to this, other participants remain consistent on their respective opinion from before and after the training in which 9 consistently believe they don't need such resiliency training and 14 participants consistently believe they still needed resiliency training despite the resiliency training model was given to them.
Consequently, the data showed that the p-value of 0.02 leads to the basis that there is an evidence that the training model of resiliency which is Mindful Awareness Training is statistically significant @ 0.05 alpha. Thus, there is a significant change of opinion among teachers about their resiliency after they had attended Mindful Awareness Training. This implies that Mindful Awareness Training is effective in the development of teachers' resiliency levels. It helps teachers to boost their confidence in facing pandemic crises like COVID-19. Hougaard et al. (2020) asserted that Mindfulness Awareness Training has a positive impact on our psychological level, psychology, and work performance and most importantly it increases the density of grey cells in our cerebral cortex that results in many benefits such as better cognitive function, better memory, increased concentration, reduced cognitive rigidity, and faster reaction times. Thus, it is undeniably to accept on the positive response that teachers just like other living creatures have a will to survive. On the other end, another study conducted by Beltman et al. (2022) argued that teachers are meant to be proactive whenever crisis is around like pandemic and likewise they are aware of themselves on how to restore their wellbeing.

Conclusion
Teachers' resiliency is best achieved through willingness and established interest in any means of making things happen. It is evident that mental training is significantly contribute to enhance the level of teachers' resiliency. It showed that the Mindful Awareness Training model has meant of making teaching meaningful despite global pandemic. Thus, it works among them, teachers and indeed the model is effective.