Empty Spaces? The Show Must Go Home! Teacher Crossing “Hybrid Boundaries” of Space and Emotion during COVID-19

This quantitative study delves into the emotional experiences of teachers as they navigated hybrid teaching from home during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on understanding the relationship between physical space and emotions.This was a turning point, for the first time in the teacher's professional life, the space takes on a significant dimension.The research involved 135 teachers hailing from northern Israel, aiming to shed light on the intricate interplay between work environment and emotional well-being amidst unprecedented circumstances.The findings of the study revealed alarmingly high levels of fatigue among the participating teachers, indicative of the immense challenges they faced while transitioning to remote teaching.Interestingly, teachers who engaged in continuing education programs tailored to remote teaching exhibited higher levels of optimism compared to their counterparts who did not participate in such programs.However, despite their increased optimism, teachers who underwent these programs also reported elevated levels of burnout and fatigue, suggesting a complex relationship between professional development and emotional strain.One of the key insights gleaned from the study was the significant impact of working from home on teachers' emotional states, with many experiencing burnout and grappling with strong negative emotions.Moreover, the data unveiled a weak yet discernible negative correlation between the level of optimism and the number of hours spent working from home, indicating that increased home working hours were associated with decreased optimism levels among teachers.