Teacher Professional Development to Help Students Manage Stress: Barriers and Enablers.

This research work seeks to better understand barriers and enablers in addressing student stress in school settings using a continuing professional development (CPD) approach informed by research on teacher needs in the post-pandemic educational ecosystem. A survey study was conducted in which 91 teachers from 3 countries (Spain, Denmark, and Cyprus) participated. Preliminary results indicate that teachers hold negative stress mindsets – which presents a barrier the CPD must address across regions. Secondly, an emphasis on stress management techniques emerges as a focal point for the program. Thirdly, among elements that comprise the CPD approach, Learning Design and Digital Technologies for teaching and learning are topics generating the most interest from teachers whereas Open Educational Resources and Universal Design for Learning the least. Results are to inform the design and evaluation of a CDP approach and contribute to our understanding of teacher needs in the post-pandemic educational ecosystem.