Ambiguous loss, stress, communal coping, and resilience: a mixed-methods analysis of K-12 teachers’ experiences and interpersonal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT K-12 teachers throughout the United States have experienced unprecedented changes to their roles due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating ambiguity and stress. This study took a mixed-methods approach to investigate K-12 teachers’ experiences coping with stress during the pandemic. The investigation involved two phases of data collection, beginning with formative focus groups that informed the development of an online survey in the second phase. Twelve teachers participated in the first phase (grades K-5), and 163 teachers (grades K-12) completed the online survey to determine how ambiguous loss impacts resilience in the context of teaching during the pandemic in the second phase. Results support the prediction that pandemic-related ambiguous loss may lead to enhanced resilience indirectly through increased stress and communal coping.