Identifying Concern and Stress of Parents, Students and Teachers with the Social Distance Planning Process and Reopening of Schools during Covid-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Background: With the closure of schools as a result of the social distancing plan, the negative emotions that individuals experience became complicated. Therefore, the present study provided a deep understanding of the concerns and stresses of parents, students, and teachers about the process of social distance planning and reopening of schools during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This directed qualitative content analysis was conducted in 2020. The data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with teachers (n=28), students (n=20), and their parents (n=32) in Tuiserkan County. Sampling was performed by purposeful sampling method with the maximum variation. Data analysis was performed simultaneously with data, collected by content analysis method. Results: In general, 90% of participants were stressed and concerned about the social distancing plan and the reopening of schools during Covid-19 pandemic. During data analysis, 74 primary codes, 13 sub-themes and 4 themes were obtained. The themes included predisposing factors (knowledge and attitude), reinforcing factors, enabling factors, and quality of life. Conclusion: Identifying and explaining the concerns and stress of parents, students and teachers about the process of social distance planning and reopening of schools during infectious diseases such as COVID-19 pandemic will help policy-makers and administrators for planning and interventions related to this.