Assessing teachers' needs and coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic in Kwara State, Nigeria 1 2 3 4 5 Esther Chiwendu Ezebuike, Yetunde, Eniola-arigbe Abstract The global corona virus upsurge, also known as the COVID-19 pandemic, poses a significant threat to the health and safety of students, teachers, parents, school administrators and educators. This paper looked at the needs and coping strategies of school teachers in Kwara State, Nigeria, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two research questions and three hypotheses were raised to guide the study. A sample of 414 teachers was taken from a population of 5,000 teachers in Kwara State, which comprises 239 public schools and 175 private schools, and 124 primary school and 290 secondary teachers respectively. A structured questionnaire titled "Teachers Coping Strategies and Needs Questionnaire"(TCNQ) was used to gather data for the study. Reliability analysis was carried out using pilot test method. The reliability co-efficient was 0.72. The following statistical tools: descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, T-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data obtained with R, STATA, and SPSS. There was a positive but weak correlation between teacher's needs and coping strategies (r=0.416, p.05). It was also discovered that the male teachers' needs differ significantly from the female teachers' needs. Also, similar coping strategies were adopted by both male and female teachers. Keywords: Coping strategies, school teachers' needs, COVID-19 pandemic, Corona Virus disease Felicia Kikelomo Oluwalola , Isiaka Gbenga Ajayi, Iyabode Falilat Abdulkareem, Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to the health and well-being of students, teachers, parents, school administrators, educators and the general public. The resultant effects on children and young people around the world is enormous, significantly, it has resulted into closure of many educational institutions. The Nigeria Education in Emergency Working Group (2020) submitted that the closure of schools affect approximately 46 million students nation-wide, thus the need to aim at reducing mortality due to COVID-19 among teachers and schools stakeholders in order to mitigate negative impact on children learning and teachers wellbeing and ensure effective, inclusive and safe return to quality learning for teachers. Furthermore, Workie (2020) explained that the spread of the deadly virus in the developing countries is very high, with huge implications on health, food security and wellbeing. World Bank (2020) submitted strategies for teachers' effectiveness amidst COVID-19; they are summarized in the principles below: The Nigeria Education in Emergency working Group (2020) submitted that the closure of schools affect approximately 46 million students nation-wide, this was aimed at reducing mortality due to COVID-19 among teachers and schools stakeholders. Furthermore, closure of schools was to mitigate negative impacts of COVID-19 on children's learning and teachers' wellbeing, while ensuring effective, inclusive and safe return to quality learning for teachers. Furthermore, Workie (2020) explained that the spread of the deadly virus in the developing countries is very high, with huge implications on health, food security and wellbeing. World Bank (2020) submitted strategies for teachers' effectiveness amidst COVID-19. They are summarized in these principles: by supporting Teacher Resilience to enhance Teachers' effectiveness while providing instructional AJB-SDR Vol. 3, No 1, 2021 34