Online Teacher Education in Times of Crisis: Listening to Teachers’ Voices During COVID-19

Abstract

As research emerges on emergency remote teaching and learning (ERTL) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, one specific context remains underrepresented, and one group of learners’ voices remains unheard. To date, there is little research examining the experiences of teachers-as-learners already engaged in distance learning education at the start of the pandemic; Thus, this study set out to explore the lived experiences of TESOL teachers participating in a distance learning Teacher Education course between March and June 2020 in Cyprus. While it was assumed that distance learning courses would face minimal disruption, anecdotal evidence suggested that teachers experienced significant challenges to their learning. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this study examines how twelve teachers enrolled in a distance learning Teacher Education in TESOL course made sense of their experiences during this period. It positions teachers’ experiences within a transitional and liminal space as they attempt to renegotiate and manage to compete multiple identities as students, teachers, and family members. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the ways in which teacher education providers may develop and teach courses that support distance learning. It is hoped that this study will contribute to a broader understanding of distance learning and online pedagogies in higher education during times of crisis.