A Phenomenology of Single Parent Teachers During the Pandemic

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone was concerned, forced to adapt to the new standard setup in the environment. Most teachers struggle as well as parents and students in this new model. It directly affects a person’s personal life. Thus, this study aims to investigate the lived experiences of single parent-teachers during a pandemic crisis. Specifically, (1) To investigate the subject has lived experiences during the pandemic in terms of being a parent and a teacher; (2) to examine the impact of the pandemic crisis on the respondents in terms of work performance and student-relationship; (3) to investigate how they cope with personal setbacks during the pandemic. This study used qualitative phenomenological methods to fulfill the objectives of the study. The study had 8 participants, and they were chosen through a purposive sampling design. The results show that most single parent teachers are stressed and frustrated due to some factors such as their child’s health anxiety, someone to lean on during the crisis, and their financial stability. However, this pandemic had given positive impact which it provides a deeper connection to their family specifically, their children. In line with their profession, mostly it showed that burnout is manifested, hardships due to lack of resources, technological difficulties, and the student’s relationship became lack of social interaction that resulted to the student’s lack of competence. But with all these stresses the finding showed that the coping strategies developed were withdrawal, bond with friends and to have a self-care. This research should focus more on the variety of genders to further examine the understanding of two point of views between the male and female experiences. Also, the study recommends providing essential workshop and seminars for the participant’s welfare.