Abstract

Background/purpose – As COVID-19 spread around the globe, learning was greatly impacted, with teachers having to pivot to remote delivery. This study documented teachers’ perceptions on the transition to online teaching and learning.

Materials/methods – The phenomenological approach was used to gather and analyze responses to open-ended survey questions that solicited teachers’ reflections on the benefits and challenges of instructing online, the quality of interactions with families, and the support provided by the leadership in school districts.

Results – Two themes emerged from the data, teachers’ challenges adjusting to new circumstances, and the complexities of meeting students’ needs remotely while maintaining high academic expectations in pedagogy, instructional content, student outcomes and engagement, and parental involvement.

Conclusion – Student engagement during remote learning indicate the need for educators and technology designers to begin to consider the future of learning in online formats among younger children.

Keywords: COVID-19, inservice teachers, mandated e-learning, digital divide, parental engagement

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