Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Lisa Avirett
Keywords
COVID, elementary school teachers, teacher mental health, disruptive student behavior, motivation, Title One schools
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Brown, Felicia N., "Impact of Disruptive Student Behavior on the Well-Being of Elementary Teachers in South Carolina Title One Public Schools Post-COVID: A Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8548.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8548
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the urgent need to address students’ behavioral and mental health challenges and to support teachers’ well-being in maintaining a stable, impactful public education institution. The theory guiding this study was the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, which focuses on individuals’ cognitive appraisals in stressful situations (Lazarus & Folkman, 1987). The COVID pandemic exacerbated existing pressures on the public education system, significantly impacting teachers’ emotional and mental health, particularly those responsible for instructing disruptive students. The researcher investigated the following comprehensive questions: (1) What are teachers’ perceptions of the causes of their stress and burnout post-COVID? (2) What are the lived experiences of elementary teachers with disruptive student behavior post-COVID age? Data were collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 public school teachers from prekindergarten through 5th grade in Title One elementary schools in the Columbia area of South Carolina. Study participants were selected based on their having at least five years of pre-pandemic teaching experience and from a diverse range of perspectives. Data analysis utilized thematic analysis, horizontalization, and clustering of meaning, revealing the core themes of stress, burnout, motivation, and emotional intelligence. The results highlighted that the post-COVID surge in disruptive student behaviors has significantly intensified teacher stress and burnout in Title One schools, emphasizing the urgent need to address students’ behavioral and mental health challenges and to support teachers’ well-being to maintain a stable, impactful public education institution.
