Lecturers’ Reflections on Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning at a University in South Africa During Covid-19 Lockdown

Bibliographic Data

ID22257406
AuthorsDagogo William Legg-Jack (0000-0002-6739-5575, Walter Sisulu University), Clever Ndebele (0000-0002-4258-4812, Walter Sisulu University)
Year2022
Pages238-255
Publication date2022-06-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueE-Journal of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2720-7722 • E-ISSN: 2720-7722
PublisherNoyam Publishers (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.38159/ehass.2022364
OpenAlexW4283399908
LanguageEN
References cited7

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic came with a lot of disruptions which saw so many organisations and institutions shut down. Part of the changes brought about by the pandemic was the closure of educational institutions globally, thereby forcing the migration to emergency remote teaching and learning. Whilst some nations grappled with the challenges associated with this shift in the mode of teaching and learning, others tapped into the opportunities inherent in it. This study located in the interpretive paradigm employed a qualitative case study design that explored lecturers’ reflections on emergency remote teaching and learning at a university in South Africa during the intense stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Technology Acceptance Model was employed as a lens to make meaning of how lecturers perceive emergency remote teaching and learning in the science and technology cluster. The sample for the study consisted of nine participants, recruited from Science and Technology cluster, representing Biological/Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences and Technology Education faculties. The sample was selected through purposive and convenience sampling. Findings from the study revealed both challenges and opportunities for emergency remote teaching and learning. The challenges identified included, lecturers’ lack of readiness, students’ internet-related issues, and inability to execute practical tasks online. The positive aspect included improved skills in the use of ICT and diverse online platforms for both lecturers and students. Based on the findings, the study recommends that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds be provided with the necessary ICT infrastructure to ensure their effective participation in online learning. Keywords: COVID-19, Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL), lecturers; reflections; South Africa

Distance education · Information and Communications Technology · Mathematics education · Medical education · Nonprobability sampling · Pandemic · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · The Internet · Computer Science · COVID-19 and Mental Health · E-Learning and COVID-19 · Higher Education Practises and Engagement · Medicine · Psychology

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