Psychological security in the digital classroom

Abstract

The rapid digitalization of education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has transformed how teachers engage with information and communication technologies (ICT). This study empirically investigates the psychological security of higher education teachers (N = 59) as they navigate between traditional (classroom, offline) and distance (online) learning environments. Using a mixed-methods approach combining associative techniques, semantic field analysis, and statistical evaluations, we examined teachers' emotional perceptions and subjective safety assessments across learning modalities. Results revealed significant differences in how teachers associate with distance versus traditional learning, with the former evoking primarily ICT-related and negative emotional associations, while the latter elicited communication-focused and positive associations. Notably, our analysis uncovered a complex relationship between emotional perception and psychological security that varied based on the time spent engaged in online teaching. Teachers with moderate online engagement (6-18 hours weekly) demonstrated the most positive associations with distance learning but paradoxically reported feeling less secure in this environment. Conversely, those with extensive online teaching loads (>18 hours) developed increasingly neutral emotional responses while reporting similar security levels across both modalities. The findings suggest that psychological security in digital learning environments is shaped by complex interactions between technological engagement, interpersonal communication opportunities, and individual differences among educators. These insights have important implications for developing institutional support systems, balanced teaching schedules, and targeted psychological interventions for educators navigating increasingly digital educational spaces.