The Sudden Shift to Distance Learning: Challenges Facing Teachers

Abstract

This study explores challenges facing teachers in distance education programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in this study are teachers from 8 intermediate schools in Kuwait. A convergent parallel mixed methods research design was used to collect survey and interview data. The study generates survey data from 215 teachers and interview data from 8 teachers to determine teachers’ perceptions of the challenges they face. The findings of the study suggest that teachers are willing to use technology but lacked technological and pedagogical knowledge and were not prepared for making the sudden shift to distance education. The study highlights the importance of teachers’ professional development in distance education. This study has implications for schools and policy makers who are forced to suddenly revert to distance learning during a pandemic.