Teaching online during the pandemic : teachers’ perspectives and practices through the lens of transformative learning theory

Abstract

The recent global pandemic that the world has witnessed had forced schools and teachers to operate remotely and from a distance resulting in changes in the teaching-learning environment. Teachers were unprepared for this unanticipated and rapid online move in teaching and learning, which resulted in many challenges that were perceived by teachers', students’ and parents' end. This research uses Mezirow's transformative learning theory as a framework to explore the transformative experiences of teachers during the shift to online teaching. The study aimed to explore teachers’ challenges, support obtained and their learning experiences through the 10 stages of Mezirow’s transformative theory. The methodology used in this study is an exploratory mixed-method approach and data was gathered through a teachers’ survey (learning activity survey-LAS) and follow-up interviews. 115 teachers completed the survey, and 8 accepted to participate in the follow-up interview. The participants were teachers from different schools in Lebanon. The findings revealed that teachers have undergone a transformation in their adoption of technology as a result of using these tools during the pandemic. Furthermore, significant changes in their teaching roles and practices were perceived. However, the sudden shift to online teaching also surfaced infrastructure and student engagement issues and highlighted the demanding need for effective teacher professional development training to equip teachers with the needed technological skills and pedagogical strategies required for effective online teaching.