Abstract
A qualitative investigation into higher education teaching staff’s confidence with online teaching following the COVID-19 pandemic
Objectives: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UK higher education teaching has adopted online teaching within pedagogical practices. An understanding of how confident teaching staff feel about this transition remains largely unexplored. This study aims to explore U.K. HE teaching staff’s confidence in online teaching and what may influence their confidence.
Design: audio recorded qualitative semi-structured interviews was used to collect the data and a thematic analysis was conducted.
Methods: Seven 1:1 semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 4 female and 3 male higher education teaching staff based within UK higher education institutions. The interview explored fours areas, teaching experience, confidence in teaching online, digital interface activity and feelings around teaching online.
Results: Via a deductive thematic analysis, three overarching themes were identified: transition, useability and engagement. These themes highlight the importance of UK higher education institutions’ approach to supporting teaching staff and can be applied to broader examples of pedagogical transition. The themes unpacked active institutional support and familiarity in web 2,0 platforms positively influenced confidence in teaching.
Conclusions: This study contributes to the understanding of how HE staff have adapted to online teaching and the contributing factors to their confidence. Higher education policymakers, departmental leads and other teaching staff should consider the implication of our findings.
Objectives: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UK higher education teaching has adopted online teaching within pedagogical practices. An understanding of how confident teaching staff feel about this transition remains largely unexplored. This study aims to explore U.K. HE teaching staff’s confidence in online teaching and what may influence their confidence.
Design: audio recorded qualitative semi-structured interviews was used to collect the data and a thematic analysis was conducted.
Methods: Seven 1:1 semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 4 female and 3 male higher education teaching staff based within UK higher education institutions. The interview explored fours areas, teaching experience, confidence in teaching online, digital interface activity and feelings around teaching online.
Results: Via a deductive thematic analysis, three overarching themes were identified: transition, useability and engagement. These themes highlight the importance of UK higher education institutions’ approach to supporting teaching staff and can be applied to broader examples of pedagogical transition. The themes unpacked active institutional support and familiarity in web 2,0 platforms positively influenced confidence in teaching.
Conclusions: This study contributes to the understanding of how HE staff have adapted to online teaching and the contributing factors to their confidence. Higher education policymakers, departmental leads and other teaching staff should consider the implication of our findings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | English |
| Publication status | In preparation - 10 Sept 2024 |