Teaching strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic : experiences, challenges and opportunities of foundation phase teachers.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to the education sector and the world at large. This study aimed to explore the teaching strategies used by Foundation Phase teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it focused on the experiences, challenges, and opportunities of Foundation Phase teachers during this period. This study was guided by the conceptual frameworks of Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Situated Learning Theory and Hargreaves’s (2001) Emotional Geographies of Teaching. The study was located within the interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research approach. The study used a case study design, with data collection methods including semi-structured telephonic interviews, collages and artefacts. Five Foundation Phase teachers from five primary schools participated in this study. The findings of the study suggest that teachers used WhatsApp groups, online platforms and work packs to distribute information to learners during the COVID-19 pandemic. They displayed adaptability and exhibited their resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they collaborated as teams and conquered their academic challenges by implementing creativity and perseverance. Their challenges included inaccessibility, smaller class sizes (which posed as an opportunity) and balancing academics and emotions. This corresponds with Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Situated Learning Theory which suggests that learning occurs in a particular situation, but knowledge gained can be transferred to any context. Teachers faced the challenge of distance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mentioned in Hargreaves (2001), but they overcame these challenges while making sure that learners were the central focus of their efforts to continuous teaching and learning. The findings can be used to assist teachers and future researchers who are searching for teaching strategies that can be employed in situations where teachers and learners cannot attend schools physically. Additionally, it is recommended that the Department of Education assists under- resourced schools with technological advancements to ensure that teachers and learners are better equipped should they be faced with a similar situation to that of the COVID-19 pandemic.