Wellbeing Practices of University Language Teachers in the War-Torn Ukraine
Alona Kovalenko, National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy,” Kyiv, Ukraine
Education is one of the most critical systems since it deals with shaping the future. The quality of educational services defines what kind of politicians, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and engineers will provide the country’s welfare in the long run. Except for high responsibility, pressure, and demands that are put on teachers, some disastrous events and tragic life circumstances make it far more difficult for educators to deliver high-quality lessons.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine has become a tragedy for its population causing huge losses in all spheres of life. Among the most crucial consequences of war for the educational system, O’Malley (2009) indicates displacement of children, teachers, and educational institutions; brain drain; severe stress, fear for the future, psychological traumas; low motivation to study; and limited access to educational resources. Despite the challenges caused by the war, teachers tried to renew the educational process when it became possible to give their students not only the necessary knowledge and skills but also psychosocial support thus taking care of children’s wellbeing. However, teachers’ own wellbeing is often lost out of sight in this context despite the fact that teachers carry the same burden of war and their work efficiency is directly affected by their psychological state. In his background report, Chris Henderson(2024) defines a teacher’s wellbeing as “the ability to function to one’s fullest capabilities, free from physical and psychological harm, as a committed professional and active contributor to a community” (p. 5). To be able to manage their emotions, engage with students in a friendly and effective way, and create a positive psychological atmosphere in the classroom, teachers should take care of their wellbeing by all means possible to ensure high-quality communication with their students.
The researchers studying the wellbeing of teachers in Ukraine claim, “the formation of the psychological well-being of a teacher in war is a complex process that requires the involvement of emotional intelligence, and the ability to operate with strong-willed internal qualities, and can also serve as a factor in the transformation of the individual.” (Bolotnikova et al., 2023, p. 150). Another research by Ukrainian scholars (Lavrysh et al., 2015) aimed to analyze how the war affected teachers and their professional activity. Among the open-ended questions proposed for 53 participants in the survey, the question “What has become your priority during the war?” received such answers: survive, stay safe (53%), support students, colleagues, others (29%), mental health (10%), students’ skills (6%), remain the same (2%). The provided answers indicate that teachers often forget about their own wellbeing and care more about their families and students. However, the ability to support others comes from a person’s inner resources that cannot be endless and need replenishment.
In this regard, I have conducted a short survey among 42 language teachers working in Ukrainian universities asking them to indicate the wellbeing practices they use to support their mental health. I believe this experience may be helpful for those going through the same hardships and give a stimulus for further research in this field. The survey included a list of 20 activities among which the respondents could choose all the applicable options. Besides, there was a field where educators could indicate some additional activities if nothing applied to them or if they wanted to add something.
The option “spending time with the family” was the most popular and collected 36 answers, i.e., 86% derive their strength from family. “Learning something new” took second place with 33 answers. I believe that every teacher is a learner as well. Therefore, learning is essential especially for language teachers since they are working with the most dynamic system constantly updating. Such hobbies as “reading” and “watching movies” were marked 30 times each. “Spending time outside” (e.g., walking in the park or gardening), “listening to music”, and “teaching” collected 27 answers each. It may seem unusual that teaching was chosen by 64% of participants since it requires lots of emotional contribution. However, it may also become a motivation because it gives a sense of purpose and provides some routine activities that help keep the sense of control when many things are out of control nowadays in Ukraine.
“Participating in professional development events” like workshops, and conferences, and “attending cultural events” like concerts, cinema, and theatre had 24 markings each. “Spending time with friends” and “cooking” was important for 21 participants. “Research activities”, “volunteering”, and “doing sports” had 15 markings each. As for volunteering, it has really become a powerful source of support for Ukrainians. Contributing to the common cause also gives meaning to life. “Playing games” (e.g., computer, board) was relevant for 12 persons in this context. The least popular activities turned out to be “playing with pets”, and “religious practices (9 markings each), “creative writing” (e.g., diaries, stories), and “arts” (painting, singing, dancing, music) (6 markings each). It may seem quite surprising that the activities related to art therapy, which is considered to be one of the most popular practices to reduce stress, are not very popular with language teachers. Notably, nobody chose the option “consulting a psychologist”, though, nowadays multiple NGOs and humanitarian organizations provide free psychological support to the war-affected population.
In my opinion, this issue is rather stigmatized in our country. Psychology as a science has become popular only within recent decades; therefore, people simply are not used to solving their psychological problems with a psychologist. They are either ashamed of confessing they have problems and consulting a psychologist or they do not believe that their problems can be solved in this way. As for the extra activities indicated by the participants, there were “staying alone in silence, not communicating with anyone”, “having a massage done”, and “house cleaning and traveling”.
Thus, we can notice that the most popular wellbeing practice is related to communication with the closest and dearest people. It may prove the widely known opinion that people can heal us. Nature, music, and movies provide aesthetic satisfaction and help see the beauty around despite the war trying to destroy it. However, being educators, they could not help choosing learning, reading, and teaching as developing both as a personality and as a professional greatly contributes to gaining a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
References
Bolotnikova, I., Kucherhan, Y., Vyshnyk, O., Shyrobokov, Y., & Dzykovych, O. (2023). Psychological well-being of a pedagogue in the conditions of war. Revista Eduweb, 17(2), 149-160. https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2023.17.02.13
Henderson, C. (2024). Teacher wellbeing and the shaping of teacher shortages in crisis-affected contexts. 2024 Global Report on Teachers. UNESCO.
Lavrysh, Yu., Lytovchenko, I., Lukianenko, V. & Golub, T. (2025). Teaching during the wartime: Experience from Ukraine. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 57:3, 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2022.2098714
O’Malley, B. (2009). Education under attack, 2007: A global study on targeted political and military violence against education staff, students, teachers, union and government officials, and institutions. UNESCO.
Alona Kovalenko has a Ph.D. in Education and is an Associate Professor of the English Language Department of the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.” Her research interests include TESOL methodology, aesthetic education of students through language and literature, and the issues of translating texts of different genres.