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Volume 6 , Number 2, August 2021 
 ISSN : 2579-8383 (Print) ISSN : 2579-8405 (Online)  

  

  

Comparison of Frontline Educational Workers experience 
Before and During Pandemic  

 
Lara Mae F. Delos Santos, Rezza-Mira I. De Rueda, Ara Jane J. Sanchez, Engr. 

John Vincent L. Santos 
Holy Cross College, Sta. Rosa, N.E., Inc. Bangladesh 

Email: j.vince103@gmail.com 
 

Accepted: 
August 10th  2021 

Reviewed:  
September 5th , 2021 

Published:  
November 30th 2021 

 
Abstract: The purpose of this research is to get insight into the first-hand experiences of 

educational frontline workers in the Philippines before to and during the Pandemic. The 
respondents were from Brgy. Rajal Centro Sta.Rosa Nueva Ecija and Gapan City Nueva 
Ecija. The participants in this study were selected frontline teachers who worked before 
and throughout the epidemic. This study focuses solely on the experiences of frontline 
employees prior to and during Covid-19. To determine if there is a substantial difference 
in frontline worker experience between covid-19 and before covid-19, or whether there 
is no significant difference. Taking into account each frontline worker's physical health, 
mental health, communication, and public perception, the findings of this study will be 
able to determine how significantly different the life experience has been and what 
recommendations can the frontline workers make in order to cope with the situation. 

 
Keyword:  Frontline workers, Education in Pandemic, Physical Health, Mental Health, 

Communication, Public perception 
 

INTRODUCTION 

 As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, healthcare workers throughout the world are 

presented with an unusual circumstance in which they must make tough decisions while 

working under severe pressure The general public has also been severely impacted. The 

COVID-19 pandemic caught many health-care systems off guard, causing fear and 

uncertainty in the fight against the infection. This misunderstanding resulted in contentious 

judgments on who should be treated or tasted with the limited resources available. The 

pandemic has undoubtedly brought fear to anyone, including us. 

Health and social care personnel are particularly vulnerable to the epidemic because 

they come into contact with a wide range of people while carrying out their duties. Other 

industries must face the risk of being exposed sooner or later if the economy and nation are 

to progress. With the commencement of the new academic year, the educational sector must 

also accept the possibility of the pandemic persisting. 

mailto:riyu.choirul57@gmail.com


  

 

  

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 According to Sim , A physically and psychologically fit workforce that is well-

equipped is essential to a country's ability to treat COVID-19 cases successfully1. Nowadays, 

working in education has a new and important challenge in the current scenario, with the 

ongoing epidemic2. Contingency preparations are being undertaken in the education sector, 

such as looking for and developing new ways to adopt with the situation while considering 

the physical and mental health of the teachers. All on- and off-campus events and activities 

that would gather students in crowded or confined places and/or involve travel have been 

prohibited for the safety of the students and the community3.  

 Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, anybody could go wherever they wanted and talk 

to anyone, including acquaintances, classmates, coworkers, cousins, and so on4. Anyone can 

go to a salon for a haircut, and we all go to the mall to purchase new things or to reward 

ourselves. Everyone is laughing at the same moment, and we are all spending time with our 

loved ones. We may reach out and touch anything without fear, and we can hug the person 

we genuinely miss. However, an unwanted incident occurred as a result of the COVID-19 

pandemic, which drastically affected our lives and experiences. We had no clue our routine 

would be altered. 

 As our daily lives changed, so is the scenarios and paradigm in the educational sector. 

Government and non-government groups both support distance learning programs. It is 

recommended in reaction to the present educational system, which is in the midst of a 

pandemic. It is recommended that both professors and students use digital technologies. To 

prevent interruption, new ways of learning are being developed, such as online classrooms, 

which allow students to communicate with one another from a distance and continue with 

their academic studies. This has created a new and major problem for educational frontline 

personnel in terms of how they will cope with the present scenario while performing their 

assigned responsibilities as instructors. 

  The present pandemic crisis has had a tremendous influence on our lives in many 

areas, including our personal life, studies, and jobs. This study is being done to better 

understand the experiences of educational frontline staff prior to and during the COVID-19 

epidemic. The following research problems will be investigated in this study: 

1. How may the experiences of  educational frontline personnel before and during the 

COVID-19 outbreak be characterized in terms of: Physical Health, Mental Health, 

Communication and Public Perception 

 
1 Malcolm R Sim, “The COVID-19 Pandemic: Major Risks to Healthcare and Other Workers on 

the Front Line” (BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2020). 
2 Muh Barid Nizarudin Wajdi et al., “Education Policy Overcome Coronavirus, A Study of 

Indonesians,” EDUTEC: Journal of Education And Technology 3, no. 2 (2020): 96–106. 
3 Muh Barid Nizarudin Wajdi et al., “Pendampingan Redesign Pembelajaran Masa Pandemi Covid-

19 Bagi Tenaga Pendidik Di Lembaga Pendidikan Berbasis Pesantren Di Jawa Timur,” Engagement: Jurnal 
Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat 4, no. 1 (2020): 266–277. 

4 Cynthia Abbott-Gaffney and Karen Jacobs, “Telehealth in School-Based Practice: Perceived 
Viability to Bridge Global OT Practitioner Shortages Prior to COVID-19 Global Health Emergency,” 
Work (2020); Grant Benham, “Stress and Sleep in College Students Prior to and during the COVID-19 
Pandemic,” Stress and Health (2021). 



  

 

  

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2. What action plan may be provided for the educational frontline employees to mitigate 

the impact of  the COVID-19? 

 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

 Frontline workers are uniquely placed to address some of the most pressing COVID-

19 pandemic problems. Their ability to provide professional counseling does not shield them 

from the psychological toll that it entails. We are unlikely to fully grasp the long-term mental 

impact of COVID-19 based on previous findings of how earlier pandemics eventually 

harmed the psychological health of frontline workers. While frontline workers are generally 

strong, they are nevertheless human and deserve the same psychological support as everyone 

else during a crisis. It is important to move beyond our current knowledge base and collect 

and analyze data on how this pandemic impacts our frontline personnel. This information 

will be critical in directing our actions to improve long-term mental health outcomes linked 

with COVId-19, as well as affecting our behavior in the case of future pandemics. 

 Every day since the beginning of the year, humanitarian workers in the Philippines 

have been on the front lines dealing with the challenges posed by COVID-19 and other 

disaster events, such as the displacement caused by the Taal Volcano eruption, the damage 

caused by Typhoon Ambo, as well as continuing relief efforts in Marawi City and responding 

to those affected by the Cotabato and Davao Del Sur earthquakes. Despite the numerous 

hazards, humanitarians continue to do their work, patiently and selflessly assisting those in 

most need. 

  The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a significant number of vulnerabilities as well 

as our shortcomings in shock prevention5. It has also demonstrated that the enormity of the 

issue beyond the capacity of any one partner or government to respond. COVID-19 may be 

today's super-villain, but it doesn't stop our real-life heroes from performing their jobs and 

working diligently to develop ways to battle the treat and finally defeat the unseen adversary. 

 The new coronavirus outbreak threatens to aggravate work-related stress and amplify 

severe psychological distress among some healthcare professionals. Other pandemics' 

emotional impacts on medical professionals have shown that anguish is not confined to the 

length of the epidemic, but instead lingers long after exposure to victims has ended. Longer 

shifts are connected with detrimental consequences on both employees and patients, and the 

mental and physical weariness that healthcare professionals throughout the world are 

expected to experience as a result of prolonged schedules and increased workloads is not 

uncommon among frontline workers. The COVID-19 epidemic is hurting many healthcare 

 
5 Juan Antonio Duro et al., “Covid-19 and Tourism Vulnerability,” Tourism Management Perspectives 

(2021); Güler Boyraz, Dominique N. Legros, and Ashley Tigershtrom, “COVID-19 and Traumatic Stress: 
The Role of Perceived Vulnerability, COVID-19-Related Worries, and Social Isolation,” Journal of Anxiety 
Disorders (2020); Ibraheem M. Karaye and Jennifer A. Horney, “The Impact of Social Vulnerability on 
COVID-19 in the U.S.: An Analysis of Spatially Varying Relationships,” American Journal of Preventive 
Medicine (2020). 



  

 

  

Volume 6, Number 3, December 2021 | 252  

  

  

professionals in novel ways, including increased infection risk, feelings of powerlessness, 

moral damage, and a lack of social support6. 

 

METHODS 

 This methodology reflects the criteria that were used to assess the lives of COVID-

19 frontline workers before and throughout the pandemic. Frontline workers' physical and 

mental health, communication, public perception, and security and protection are all affected 

by their experiences before and during Covid-19. Communication refers to how humans 

perceive messages sent between two or more individuals. Communication has an important 

role in both promoting and disturbing physical well-being. Frontline workers' physical health 

has an impact on their mental health, and poor physical health can lead to an increase in bad 

mental health. Mental health has an impact on how people are perceived by the public; it 

influences how they believe, how things appear, and so on. Security and protection are 

enhanced via communication and public perception. Communication and public perception 

engage with people on a regular basis in order to provide information, guidance, or to ease 

incident reporting, which can improve security and protection. 

 This study focused on the Experience of COVID-19 Frontline Education Workers; 

Before and During Pandemic at Rajal Centro Santa Rosa and Gapan City Nueva Ecija. 

Moreover, the results of this study will be beneficial to the following: 

 

Teachers: As a consequence, they are more conscious of their physical, mental, and social 

wellbeing during covid-19, which helps them avoid worry and despair. 

Frontline Workers: Based on prior experience, they can address the psychological effect of 

Covid-19. 

Researcher: The findings of this study may serve as the foundation for future intervention 

programs aimed at enhancing frontline employees' experiences during a pandemic, which 

would eventually enhance their way of life. 

The data was analyzed using a four-point Likert Scale by the researcher. A four-point 

Likert scale represents a collection of numeric or verbal answers and alternatives that span a 

variety of perspectives on a topic. It's always included in open-ended inquiries. It is a four-

point scale ranging from severe to extreme. It consists of a mild or neutral middle. The crucial 

value for the Wilcoxon test will be utilized by the researcher. The crucial value must be less 

than or equal to the result in order to reject the null hypotheses. In conducting this study, 

 
6 Faruk Bozdağ and Naif Ergün, “Psychological Resilience of Healthcare Professionals During 

COVID-19 Pandemic,” Psychological Reports (2020); Baiwen Qi et al., “Protecting Healthcare Professionals 
during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” BioMed Research International (2020); Usman Rashid Malik et al., 
“Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals on Covid-19 and Risk Assessment to 
Prevent the Epidemic Spread: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study from Punjab, Pakistan,” International 
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020); Murat Yıldırım, Gökmen Arslan, and Ahmet 
Özaslan, “Perceived Risk and Mental Health Problems among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-
19 Pandemic: Exploring the Mediating Effects of Resilience and Coronavirus Fear,” International Journal of 
Mental Health and Addiction (2020). 



  

 

  

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the assumption below was employed by the researchers. COVID-19 pandemic experience 

has serious bad effects on the frontline worker’s personality. 

• Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between the experience of  

frontline workers before and during covid-19 pandemic. 

• Alternative Hypothesis: Is there significant difference between the experience of  

frontline workers (teacher) before and during Covid-19 pandemic. 

 

RESULT AND DISCUSSION 

COVID-19 Frontline Workers' Experiences Before and During the Pandemic This 

chapter contains a summary of the study's results, conclusions, and recommendations titled 

"experience of covid-19 frontline workers: before and during pandemic." 

 

Table 1 - Physical Health 

 1. Physical Health 4 3 2 1 
WM VI 

 Before Pandemic F % F % F % F % 

1.1 I have enough sleep 

every day. 
6 30% 13 65% 1 5% 0 0% 3.25 SA 

1.2 I exercise once a 

week when I 

wanted. 

7 35% 6 30% 5 25% 2 10% 2.9 A 

 GWM         3.08 A 

 During Pandemic F % F % F % F %   

1.3 I have enough sleep 

every day. 4 20% 4 20% 8 40% 4 20% 2.6 A 

1.4 I exercise once a 

week when I 

wanted. 

10 50% 6 30% 2 10% 2 10% 3.2 SA 

 GWM         2.9 A 

 

The over - all weighted mean for the component physical health is 3.08 before pandemic 

and 2.9 during epidemic, with the verbal interpretation of agree, indicating that respondents 

are only slightly agreeing that covid-19 experience has an influence on their physical aspect 

before and during pandemic. 

 

 

 

 

 



  

 

  

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Table 2 - Mental Health 

 2. Mental Health 4 3 2 1 
WM VI 

 Before Pandemic F % F %   F % 

2.1 When I’m sick it 

feels like normal 

thing. 

13 65% 6 30% 1 5% 0 0% 3.55 SA 

2.2 I don’t tolerate 

negative 

thoughts. 

13 65% 6 30% 1 5% 0 0% 3.55 SA 

 GWM         3.55 SA 

 During Pandemic F % F % F % F %   

2.3 When I’m sick it 

feels like normal 

thing. 

1 5% 2 10% 3 15% 14 70% 1.5 SD 

2.4 I don’t tolerate 

negative 

thoughts. 

1 5% 3 15% 5 25% 11 55% 1.7 SD 

 GWM         1.6 SD 

 

The over - all weighted mean for the factor mental health is 3.55 before and 1.6 during 

the pandemic, with the verbal interpretation of strongly agree and strongly disagree, 

indicating that respondents are only somewhat agreeing and do not agree that the covid-19 

experience has an impact on their mental health before and during the pandemic. 

 

Table 3 - Communication 

 

3. 

Communicati

on 

4 3 2 1 
WM VI 

 Before Pandemic F % F % F % F % 

3.1 I don’t need some 

distance when 

talking to my 

family/neighbo

r/friend. We 

can talk freely. 

15 75% 4 20% 1 5% 0 0% 3.7 SA 



  

 

  

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3.2 I visit my families 

and friends to 

hang out, 

whenever I miss 

them. 

17 85% 3 15% 0 0% 0 0% 3.85 SA 

 GWM         3.88 SA 

 During Pandemic F % F % F % F %   

3.3 I don’t need some 

distance when 

talking to my 

family/neighbo

r/friend. We 

can talk freely. 

0 0% 1 5% 6 30% 13 65% 1.4 SD 

3.4 I visit my families 

and friends to 

hang out, 

whenever I miss 

them. 

0 0% 0 0% 8 40% 12 60% 1.4 SD 

 GWM         1.4 SD 

 

The over - all weighted mean for the factor communication is 3.88 before and 1.4 during 

the pandemic, with the verbal interpretation of strongly agree and strongly disagree, 

indicating that respondents are only somewhat agreeing and not agreeing that covid-19 

experience has an impact on their communication aspect before and during the pandemic. 

 

Table 4 - Public Perception 

 4. Public Perception 4 3 2 1 
WM VI 

 Before Pandemic F % F % F % F % 

4.1 I make sure I am well 

aware where my 

family is going 

before they go out. 

15 75% 5 25% 0 0% 0 0% 3.75 SA 

4.2 I make sure that my 

family came home 

safe. 

17 85% 3 15% 0 0% 0 0% 3.85 SA 

 GWM         3.8 SA 

 During Pandemic F % F % F % F %   



  

 

  

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4.3 I make sure I am well 

aware where my 

family is going 

before they go out. 

16 80% 3 15% 0 0% 1 5% 3.7 SA 

4.4 I make sure that my 

family came home 

safe. 

17 85% 2 10% 0 0% 1 5% 3.75 SA 

 GWM         3.73 SA 

 

The overall weighted mean for the component public perception is 3.8 before and 3.37 

during the pandemic, with the verbal interpretation of strongly agree, indicating that 

respondents agreed that the covid-19 experience had an influence on their public perception 

before and during the pandemic. 

 

Table 5 - Summary Table on the Types of Experience of Respondents 

Types of Experience General Weighted Mean Verbal Interpretation 

1. Physical Health 

Before Pandemic 3.08 Agree 

During Pandemic 2.9 Agree 

2. Mental Health 

Before Pandemic 3.55 Strongly Agree 

During Pandemic 1.6 Strongly Disagree 

3. Communication 

Before Pandemic 3.88 Strongly Agree 

During Pandemic 1.4 Strongly Disagree 

4. Public Perception 

Before Pandemic 3.8 Strongly Agree 

During Pandemic 3.73 Strongly Agree 

 



  

 

  

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The findings of a summary of the responses for each component of the educational 

frontline employee's experience reveal that there is no significant difference between the 

physical health component and public perception prior to and after the pandemic. While 

instructors were well aware of the mental health and communication issues when the 

pandemic began. 

 

Table 6 – Hypothesis Test Summary for Related-Samples Sign Test and Wilcoxon 

Signed Rank Test 

Hypothesis Test Summary 

 Null Hypothesis Test Sig. Decision 

1 The median of 

differences between 

Before COVID and 

After COVID equals 

0. 

Related-Samples Sign 

Test 

.000a Reject the null 

hypothesis. 

2 The median of 

differences between 

Before COVID and 

After COVID equals 

0. 

Related-Samples 

Wilcoxon Signed 

Rank Test 

.000 Reject the null 

hypothesis. 

 

The findings demonstrated, using two separate statistical tests, that there is a substantial 

difference between the life of a teacher before and after the pandemic in terms of general 

physical health, mental health, communication, and public perception. 

 

CONCLUSION 

The findings of this investigation led to the following conclusion: 

1. Educational frontline employees are likely to require a flexible system of  support that 

includes peer, organizational, and professional assistance. This includes provisions for 

safety, wellness, and health. 

2. Social distance is particularly essential in avoiding illnesses in confined areas such as 

buildings and workplaces. Every school building should be designed to be a working 

environment during the pandemic. At the same time, safety protocols should be issued 

by the immediate supervisors or the management of  school facilities. 

3. Frontline employees might occasionally experience suffering, not just physically, but also 

emotionally, mentally, and socially. It is important to always check-up on the teachers by 

doing meetings, trainings, webinars that would help improve the overall health and well-

being of  the teachers. 

4. Changes in behavioral patterns are most likely to occur during this pandemic, particularly 

among frontline workers who, for their own safety, must be safeguarded. There should 



  

 

  

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be contingencies and flexible work arrangement for teachers that would help them 

maintain balance on their behavioral patterns. 

 

Based on the findings of this investigation, the following recommendations have been made: 

1. That parents, or anybody else, become aware of  the frontline worker throughout this 

pandemic. Giving appreciation and raises could help further encourage the frontline 

workers in doing their work and being mentally supported. 

2. That local government unit should become more actively involved by establishing action 

response centers for frontline worker protection situations. They may be able to help in 

organizing programs and webinars that are allocated for the teacher’s preparation and 

conduct of  work during the pandemic. 

3. That police stations follow suit and ensure that offenders are arrested immediately and 

subjected to due procedure. There should be implementing rules and regulations that 

would help the people be informed so that they may be able to follow basic and 

minimum help standards. 

4. Individual care organizations should have social distancing techniques in place in the 

event of  an infectious pandemic. 

 

REFERENCES 

Abbott-Gaffney, Cynthia, and Karen Jacobs. “Telehealth in School-Based Practice: 

Perceived Viability to Bridge Global OT Practitioner Shortages Prior to COVID-19 

Global Health Emergency.” Work (2020). 

Benham, Grant. “Stress and Sleep in College Students Prior to and during the COVID-19 

Pandemic.” Stress and Health (2021). 

Boyraz, Güler, Dominique N. Legros, and Ashley Tigershtrom. “COVID-19 and Traumatic 

Stress: The Role of Perceived Vulnerability, COVID-19-Related Worries, and Social 

Isolation.” Journal of Anxiety Disorders (2020). 

Bozdağ, Faruk, and Naif Ergün. “Psychological Resilience of Healthcare Professionals 

During COVID-19 Pandemic.” Psychological Reports (2020). 

Duro, Juan Antonio, Alejandro Perez-Laborda, Judith Turrion-Prats, and Melchor 

Fernández-Fernández. “Covid-19 and Tourism Vulnerability.” Tourism Management 

Perspectives (2021). 

Karaye, Ibraheem M., and Jennifer A. Horney. “The Impact of Social Vulnerability on 

COVID-19 in the U.S.: An Analysis of Spatially Varying Relationships.” American Journal 

of Preventive Medicine (2020). 

Malik, Usman Rashid, Naveel Atif, Furqan Khurshid Hashmi, Fahad Saleem, Hamid Saeed, 

Muhammad Islam, Minghuan Jiang, Mingyue Zhao, Caijun Yang, and Yu Fang. 

“Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals on Covid-19 and Risk 

Assessment to Prevent the Epidemic Spread: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study from 

Punjab, Pakistan.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020). 

Qi, Baiwen, Haiheng Peng, Kangquan Shou, Zhengyu Pan, Min Zhou, Rui Li, Liping Deng, 



  

 

  

Volume 6, Number 3, December 2021 | 259  

  

  

Jun Shen, Xin Rao, and Aixi Yu. “Protecting Healthcare Professionals during the 

COVID-19 Pandemic.” BioMed Research International (2020). 

Sim, Malcolm R. “The COVID-19 Pandemic: Major Risks to Healthcare and Other Workers 

on the Front Line.” BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2020. 

Wajdi, Muh Barid Nizarudin, Iwan Kuswandi, Umar Al Faruq, Zulhijra Zulhijra, Khairudin 

Khairudin, and Khoiriyah Khoiriyah. “Education Policy Overcome Coronavirus, A 

Study of Indonesians.” EDUTEC: Journal of Education And Technology 3, no. 2 (2020): 96–

106. 

Wajdi, Muh Barid Nizarudin, M Burhanuddin Ubaidillah, Sri Mulyani, Khoirul Anwar, 

Lailatul Istiqomah, Fauziyah Rahmawati, Sholihatul Atik Hikmawati, Diah Retno 

Ningsih, and Hasan Syaiful Rizal. “Pendampingan Redesign Pembelajaran Masa 

Pandemi Covid-19 Bagi Tenaga Pendidik Di Lembaga Pendidikan Berbasis Pesantren 

Di Jawa Timur.” Engagement: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat 4, no. 1 (2020): 266–

277. 

Yıldırım, Murat, Gökmen Arslan, and Ahmet Özaslan. “Perceived Risk and Mental Health 

Problems among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the 

Mediating Effects of Resilience and Coronavirus Fear.” International Journal of Mental 

Health and Addiction (2020). 

 

 

 

 


