Perspectives of Lecturers on Emergency Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Tertiary Education Institutions in New Zealand

  • Mukti Thapaliya Research Teacher Learning and Behaviour Cluster 9
Keywords: Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs), remote teaching, pandemic, challenges, New Zealand

Abstract

This descriptive qualitative study explores lecturers’ perspectives on Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in New Zealand Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with the five purposively selected lecturers from four TEIs, this article investigates the challenges and opportunities lecturers experienced in teaching during the pandemic. While the findings showed some opportunities that include enhanced flexibility, teacher creativity, and saving commute time to the workplace, they also demonstrate that the pandemic created three significant challenges of (i) socio-psychological, (ii) technological, and (iii) pedagogical nature. This study recommends that TEIs need to develop a crisis management action plan to mitigate teaching-learning difficulties in a similar kind of situation in the future. Additionally, TEIs could benefit by upskilling their lecturers and students to use digital literacy and virtual teaching and learning.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Album, S., & Ahmed, V. (2015). Success factors for ICT implementation in Saudi secondary schools: From the perspective of ICT directors, head teachers, teachers and students. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information and Communication Technology, 11, 36–54.

Ayebi-Arthur, K. (2017). E-learning, resilience and change in higher education: Helping a university cope after a natural disaster. E-learning and Digital Media, 14(5), 259–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753017751712

Bewley, D. (1996). Distance education in New Zealand: An historical sketch. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 2(1), 14–25. https://www.jofdl.nz/index.php/JOFDL/article/view/169/0

Bozkurt, A., Jung, I., Xiao, J., Vladimirschi, V., Schuwer, R., Egorov, G., Lambert, S., Al-Freih, M., Pete, J., Olcott, D. Jr, Rodes, V., Aranciaga, I., Bali, M., Alvarez, A. V., Jr., Roberts, J., Pazurek, A., Raffaghelli, J., Panagiotou, N., de Coëtlogon, P., ... Paskevicius, M. (2020). A global outlook to the interruption of education due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 1–126. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3878572

Bozkurt, A., & Sharma, R. C. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to Coronavirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 2020. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3778083

Buckley Flack, C., Walker, L., Bickerstaff, A., Earle, H., & Margetts, C. (2020). Educator perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning in Australia and New Zealand April 2020. Pivot Professional Learning. https://pivotpl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Pivot_StateofEducation_2020_White-Paper-1.pdf

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Brown, S., Murphy, L., & Hammond, K. (2021). Learning management system adoption by academics: A perspective following the forced lockdown of NZ universities due to COVID-19 in 2020. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 25(2), 55–65. http://hdl.handle.net/10292/14977

Cameron-Standerford, A., Menard, K., Edge, C., Bergh, B., Shayter, A., Smith, K., & VandenAvond, L. (2020). The phenomenon of moving to online/distance delivery as a result of Covid-19: Exploring initial perceptions of higher education faculty at a rural Midwestern university. Frontiers in Education, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.583881

Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987120927026

Chan, R. Y., Bista, K., & Allen, R. M. (Eds.). (2021). Online teaching and learning in higher education during COVID-19: International perspectives and experiences. Routledge

Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Dong, J. & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287, 112934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934

Christians, C. G. (2007). Ethics and politics in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 133–162). Sage Publications.

Creely, E. (2018). ‘Understanding things from within’: A Husserlian phenomenological approach to doing educational research and inquiring about learning. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 41(1), 104–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2016.1182482

Creswell, J. W., & Guetterman, T. C. (2019). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th ed.). Pearson.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.

Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018

Drane, C., Vernon, L., & O’Shea, S. (2020). The impact of ‘learning at home’ on the educational outcomes of vulnerable children in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature Review prepared by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education Issue.

Education Review Office [ERO]. (2021). Learning in a covid-19 world: The impact of covid-19 on schools. https://ero.govt.nz/our-research/learning-in-a-covid-19-world-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-schools

Erlam, G. D., Garrett, N., Gasteiger, N., Lau, K., Hoare, K., Agarwal, S., & Haxell, A. (2021). What really matters: Experiences of emergency remote teaching in university teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.639842

Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., & Guzzo, T. (2020). Online learning and emergency remote teaching: Opportunities and challenges in emergency situations. Societies, 10(4), 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc10040086

Flack, C. B., Walker, L., Bickerstaff, A., Earle, H., & Margetts, C. (2020). Educator perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning in Australia and New Zealand. https://omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au/teaching-and-learning-in-a-pandemic/items/show/147

Flick, U. (2018). The sage handbook of qualitative data collection. Sage Publications.

Gamage, K. A., Wijesuriya, D. I., Ekanayake, S. Y., Rennie, A. E., Lambert, C. G., & Gunawardhana, N. (2020). Online delivery of teaching and laboratory practices: Continuity of university programmes during COVID-19 pandemic. Education Sciences, 10(10), 291. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10100291

Goyal, K., Chauhan, P., Chhikara, K., Gupta, P., & Singh, M. P. (2020). Fear of COVID 2019: First suicidal case in India! Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 101989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.101989

Groenewald, T. (2004). A Phenomenological research design illustrated. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3(1), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690400300104

Hamel, C., Turcotte, S, & Laferrière, T. (2013). Evolution of the conditions for successful innovation in remote networked schools. International Education Studies 6(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v6n3p1

Hartnett, M., & Fields, A. (2021). Time for change: The journal is in good shape. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 25(2), 1–3. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.348281831194592

Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning

Houlden, S., & Veletsianos, G. (2020). Coronavirus pushes universities to switch to online classes – but are they ready? https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-pushes-universities-to-switch-to-online-classes-but-are-they-ready-132728

Joseph, D., & Trinick, R. (2021). ‘Staying Apart Yet Keeping Together’: Challenges and Opportunities of Teaching During COVID-19 Across the Tasman. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 56(2), 209-226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-021-00211-6

Johnson, R. B. & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches. Sage Publications.

Lorenza, L. & Carter, D. (2020). Emergency online teaching during COVID-19: A case study of Australian tertiary students in teacher education and creative arts. International Journal of Educational Research, 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2021.100057

Marshall, D. T., Shannon, D. M., & Love, S. M. (2020). How teachers experienced the COVID-19 transition to remote instruction. PDK International, 102(3), 46–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721720970702

Martelli, B. (2020). “Stay home, be safe, and be kind”: University of Auckland’s Italian course is online weekly. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2021.52.1284

Mishra, L., Gupta, T. & Shree, A. (2020). Online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Educational Research Open 1: 100012.

Morris, A. (2015). A practical introduction to in-depth interviewing. Sage Publications.

Muzi, S., Sans, OA., and Pace, C.S. (2021). What's happened to Italian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic? A preliminary study on symptoms, problematic social media usage, and attachment: relationships and differences with pre-pandemic peers. Front. Psychiatry 12:1-11.

Neubauer, B. E., Witkop, C. T., & Varpio, L. (2019). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspectives on Medical Education, 8(2), 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/ss40037-019-0509-2

New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2020). COVID-19 information. https://www.education.govt.nz/covid-19

New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2022). Distance/hybrid learning support during interrupted learning. https://learningfromhome.govt.nz

New Zealand Ministry of Health. (2020). Unite against COVID-19. https://covid19.govt.nz/news-and-data/#alert-level-4-—-lockdown

New Zealand Ministry of Health. (2022). COVID-19: Current cases. https://learningfromhome.govt.nz

New Zealand Prime Minister, (2020). Media release COVID-19 alert level. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/prime-minister-covid-19-alert-level-increased

Odriozola-González, P., Planchuelo-Gómez, Á., Irurtia, M. J., & de Luis-García, R. (2020). Psychological effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown among students and workers of a Spanish university. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113108

Pather, N., Blyth, P., Chapman, J. A., Dayal, M. R., Flack, N. A. M. S., Fogg, Q. A., Green, R. A., Hulme, A. K., Johnson, I. P., Meyer, A. J., Morley, J. W., Shortland, P. J., Štrkalj, G., Štrkalj, M., Valter, K., Webb, A. L., Woodley, S. J., & Lazarus, M. D. (2020). Forced disruption of anatomy education in Australia and New Zealand: An acute response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Anatomical Sciences Education, 13(3), 284–300. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1968

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative evaluation and research methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage Publications.

Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the Covid-19 Crisis: Refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 923–945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00155

Tasker, T. J., & Cisneroz, A. (2019). Open-ended questions in qualitative research: Keeping an open mind as researchers. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 21(1–2), 119–122. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A607761068/AONE?u=anon~862acd5&sid=googleScholar&xid=0830f886

Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. L. (2016). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Thapaliya, M., Adhikari, S., & Rana, L. (2023). Opportunity in COVID-19 crisis: Moving away from chalk and talk to technology-integrated teaching in Nepalese higher education institutions. E-Learning and Digital Media. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530231153944

Thompson, K. M., & Copeland, C. (2020). Inclusive considerations for optimal online learning in times of disasters and crises. Information and Learning Science, 121(7), 481–486. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0083

Tull, S., Dabner, N., & Ayebi-Arthur, K. (2017). Social media and e-learning in response to seismic events: Resilient practices. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 21(1), 63–76. https://search.informit.or/doi/10.3316/informit.957379139977510.

UNESCO. (2021). About virtual student mobility in higher education. https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/2021/01/20/about-virtual-student-mobility-in-higher-education/#_ftn1

Wang, D., & East, M. (2020). Constructing an emergency Chinese curriculum during the pandemic: A New Zealand experience. International Journal of Chinese Language Teaching, 1(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.46451/ijclt.2020.06.01

Whittle, C., Tiwari, S., Yan, S., & Williams, J. (2020). Emergency remote teaching environment: A conceptual framework for responsive online teaching in crises. Information and Learning Sciences, 121(5/6), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0099

World Health Organisation [WHO] (n.d.). Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it

Published
2023-06-29
How to Cite
Thapaliya, M. (2023). Perspectives of Lecturers on Emergency Remote Teaching during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Tertiary Education Institutions in New Zealand. Teachers’ Work, 20(1), 37-56. https://doi.org/10.24135/teacherswork.v20i1.354
Section
Articles