The Multidimensionality of Teachers’ Understanding of the Professional Role Crisis in Conditions of Institutional Instability

Abstract

This study explores the multidimensional nature of teachers’ professional role crisis under conditions of institutional instability. Drawing on a qualitative, comparative, and narrative research design, the study analyzes in-depth interviews with 72 teachers from Albania, Poland, and Ukraine. The findings reveal that professional role crisis is a context-dependent and heterogeneous phenomenon shaped by socio-political conditions, institutional frameworks, and access to relational support. Three dominant interpretative dimensions emerged: crisis as systemic overload and professional stagnation, crisis as a boundary experience enabling axiological reflection and identity reconstruction, and the mediating role of relational contexts. While teachers in Albania and Poland predominantly experienced crisis as externally imposed, leading to disengagement and loss of meaning, Ukrainian teachers more frequently interpreted crisis as a transformative process reinforcing moral responsibility and professional commitment. The study contributes to the literature by moving beyond deficit-oriented perspectives and highlighting the developmental potential of crisis, particularly when supported by relational and institutional resources. The findings underscore the importance of creating supportive professional environments that enable teachers not only to cope with crisis but also to reconstruct professional identity in meaningful ways.

Received: 5 March 2026  │  Accepted: 1 June 2026  │  Published: 23 July 2026