Educators’ Perceptions of Their Own Mental Health and Young Children’s Skills in the Second Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario, Canada

The current study aimed to understand the perceptions of kindergarten and primary (Grades 1 and 2) educators in Ontario, Canada, regarding their students’ developmental and academic skills and their own mental health during the 2021 to 2022 school year. Participants comprised 402 Ontario educators who completed an online survey. Educators perceived their students to be struggling in many areas. Results revealed that educators perceived their young students to be struggling in areas of their development, including overall and academic skills (both literacy and mathematics). Compared to their kindergarten educator counterparts, primary teachers were more likely to report that their current students were behind, both academically and developmentally. A third reported moderate levels of anxiety, while two-thirds reported moderate levels of depression. Anxiety was also found to be associated with educators’ perception of their students’ physical and socioemotional skills. Our findings suggest increased support is needed for young children’s developmental and academic progress who experienced many disruptions to their learning, as well as increased mental health support for educators.