The Role of Social Comparison on Burnout, Anxiety, and Satisfaction for Facultly who Taught during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in faculty who taught using video conferencing software such as Zoom across different modalities in higher education. Drawing from social comparison theory, this study examines upward and downward social comparison as mediators of the interrelationships between faculty burnout, teaching anxiety, and teaching satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional sample of 219 faculty. Findings reveal the mediating effect of upward social comparison on the relationship between faculty's burnout and teaching anxiety. Additionally, upward social comparison had a mediating effect on faculty's burnout and teaching satisfaction. Implications for teaching and learning using videoconferencing tools are also offered.