Teaching through trauma: Israeli teacher education in crisis

A study conducted in Israeli teacher education institutions reveals significant psychological distress among pre-service teachers, in-service educators, and academic and administrative staff due to the ongoing conflict. Approximately 30.3% of 646 participants met criteria for probable PTSD, and 34% reported severe to extreme distress, highlighting an acute mental health crisis within the education sector workforce.

Why it matters

This situation poses a significant risk to the foundational elements of the education system, impacting the quality of future educators and the stability of the current educational workforce. Addressing this widespread trauma is critical for maintaining human capital development and ensuring the long-term resilience of educational institutions.

Key insights

• Widespread and clinically significant distress found among teacher education stakeholders in Israel.
• 30.3% of participants met criteria for probable PTSD based on PCL-5 screening thresholds.
• Approximately 34% of participants reported severe to extremely high levels of psychological distress.
• The study surveyed 646 participants across pre-service teachers, in-service educators, and academic and administrative staff.
• Previous research indicated elevated distress among Israeli students and school-based educators, but distress within teacher education was largely undocumented.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1879346