Victors or victims? an exploration of how teachers navigate changes in teaching and learning during the covid-19 pandemic.

Abstract

For many learners and teachers, 2020 and 2021 manifested many challenges, at home and school, as a result of the global pandemic, including facing serve illnesses, death of a loved one, experiencing abrupt school closures, disruption of the teaching and learning process, and the feeling fear, grief, and anxiety as Covid-19 spread. Education shifted from traditional methods of learning to remote and online learning. Teachers and learners found themselves teaching and learning in front of screens at home and in other settings. Even with efforts by teachers, staff, and school principals, many of whom swiftly established online lessons, remote teaching plans, and concrete strategies for meeting learners’ educational basic needs, the challenges were profound. This study explores how teachers navigated the changes in teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and provides guidance on creating an intervention programme. The study was conducted in three primary and three secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. Eleven participants were purposely selected for this study. This study employed a qualitative approach and an interpretivist paradigm, as it is grounded in the world of lived experiences. Data was produced through collages, reflective journals, and interviews. Thereafter, a narrative was developed. Emerging from the data, an intervention programme guide and model was created to assist educational stakeholders in the creation of tailor-made intervention programmes based on their unique school context. Kurt Lewin’s (1951) theory of change was the theoretical framework that underpinned this study, which provided insights on how changes in an institution can occur. Lewin’s (1951) theory of change and the data generated from this study influenced the Navigating Change Theory which is presented in this thesis. From the data produced from the participants, it is revealed that there are many changes and challenges in teaching and learning that need to be carefully navigated to achieve educational goals. This study extensively presents ways in which teachers, victoriously, navigated the changes in teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.