Work Package 4: Building resilient schools and leadership, including principals and their interaction with teachers, students, parents, and the community

Work Package 4 examines the well-being and work-related experiences of principals and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We study the impact of crisis on work engagement, burnout and well-being. In addition, we examine the resilience of teachers and principals and the factors that affect it, such as the importance of personal resources and digital skills. We will also explore how principals and teachers shape their work during the pandemic. In addition, we examine the extent to which learning and well-being gap arose among students. The study uses datasets from the principal barometer and teacher survey, as well as physiological measurements collected from principals. Based on the results of the research, training to strengthen the resilience of teachers and principals and crisis management will be developed. Recommendations will also be made to support principals and teachers in changing operational environments.

Research group


Katariina Salmela-Aro

PI of the work package
Vice PI of the EduRESCUE project
Academy Professor, PhD Professor, University of Helsinki
Visiting professor, Michigan State University and UCL
Expertise: Principals' well-being

Jari Lavonen

Vice PI of the Work Package
Professor, University of Helsinki
Director of the National Teacher Education Forum
Expertise: Science and technology teaching and learning, curriculum development, teacher education and use of ICT in education

Roope Uusitalo

Vice PI of the work package
University of Helsinki

Lauri Hietajärvi

University Lecturer, University of Helsinki
Expertise: School well-being

Katja Upadyaya

Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Helsinki
Expertise: Student engagement, academic motivation, research methodology, and lifelong learning, teacher-student and parent-child interaction, and teachers’ and principals’ well-being

Visajaani Salonen

Project Planner, University of Helsinki
Expertise: Methods and devices to collect physiological data and combining those with traditional research data, principals' questionnaire data

Xin Tang

University Researcher, University of Helsinki
Expertise: Motivation, engagement and well-being


Hiroyuki Toyama

Postdoctoral researcher, University of Helsinki
Expertise: Principals’ well-being, occupational health and well-being

Junlin Yu

Postdoctoral researcher, University of Helsinki
Expertise: Motivation


Marc Riudavets

Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki
Expertise: Labour and education economics, the effects of students’ environment on the educational trajectories and human capital investment decisions

Mailis Elomaa

Doctoral researcher, University of Jyväskylä

Christopher Knight

University of Helsinki