Arab Educational Information Network

In crisis-affected situations, teachers serve as instructors and frontline responders, managing multiple tasks under difficult conditions. In Lebanon, recent political, economic, safety, and health crises have affected how teachers conceptualize their identity. This, in turn, can affect their readiness to deal with challenges, their effectiveness in the classroom, and the quality of education. This study aims to understand how teachers conceptualize their identity vis-à-vis Lebanon’s multifaceted crisis, to better identify teachers’ needs. The study uses mixed methods (questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis) to examine the perceptions of teachers in 7 semi-private and private schools around the country. Findings show that most teachers had a positive view of themselves (mean = 4.34/5) as well as their role within the school community and among its main stakeholders. However, interview data revealed a more complex picture of teachers’ identity in relation to their sense of self, their families, society, the government, and the global ecosystem. In particular, teachers reported feeling abandoned by the government and needing more support from the state. The study underscores how a better understanding of teachers' identities can inform the support they need and improve education in crisis affected contexts. (Author's abstract)