Emotional implications for Early Childhood Education teachers and families during the pandemic in Spain

Abstract

Due to the pandemic suffered by COVID-19, a unique situation of confinement hasbeen experienced so far, with the consequent closure of schools and businesses worldwide. The objective of this study has been to analyze the emotional implications of this confinement on children in Early Childhood Education, their parents and in their teachers. For this purpose, an exploratory study has been developed, through two online questionnaires, applied to a sample of 1235 teachers of public, private and concerted schools of Children's Education of all the Autonomous Communities of Spain and 1266 families with sons and daughters who attend these centers (aged between 0 and 6 years). This questionnaire has been answered during the most restrictive confinement in Spain, during the months of April and May 2020. The results show that confinement has produced changes at the emotional level in both parents and their sons and daughters, with statistically significant differences, depending on various variables analized. This situation has also generated differences in the perception of stress on the part of teachers has not felt to have the necessary training to be able to face this new reality.