Work Engagement and Performance of Romanian School Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of Sociodemographic and Contextual Factors

Ecaterina Coman (), Ionela Stoicov, Laurențiu Gabriel Țîru, Gabriel Brătucu, Eliza Ciobanu, Florin Nechita, Lorant Bucs and Claudiu Coman
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Ecaterina Coman: Department of Management and Economic Informatics, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Ionela Stoicov: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Sociology and Psychology, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Laurențiu Gabriel Țîru: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Sociology and Psychology, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Gabriel Brătucu: Department of Marketing, Tourism Services and International Affairs, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Eliza Ciobanu: Department of Marketing, Tourism Services and International Affairs, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Florin Nechita: Department of Social Sciences and Communication, Faculty of Sociology and Communication, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Lorant Bucs: Department of Food and Tourism Engineering and Management, Faculty of Food Industry and Tourism, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Claudiu Coman: Department of Social Sciences and Communication, Faculty of Sociology and Communication, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brasov, Romania

Administrative Sciences, 2024, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: The pandemic has led to significant changes in teaching environments, which may have affected teacher engagement and performance. The aim of the paper is to investigate the levels of work engagement (WE) and work performance (WP) during the pandemic among teachers in primary and lower secondary schools in Romania and to identify if the dimensions of these two concepts differ according to gender, age, residence, status, teaching degree, and course profile, filling a gap in the specialized literature regarding these variables in Romanian education. We conducted a survey between February and March 2022 on a sample of 1051 teachers using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ 0.3). Teachers reported a high level of engagement and work performance, higher levels of WE being identified among female teachers and those teaching in rural areas. Younger teachers showed the lowest work engagement, despite their familiarity with the digital tools used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, while gender and employment status did not have a significant impact on job performance, contextual performance was higher among tenured teaching staff and women. In addition, the profile of subjects taught significantly affected engagement and performance. The results of this research can contribute to a more dynamic and supportive educational system, ultimately leading to improved outcomes for teachers and students.

Keywords: work engagement; teachers’ engagement; work performance; teachers’ performance; COVID-19 pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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