Exploring Teaching Experience in Distance Learning during COVID-19: A Qualitative Case Study

Abstract

This study sought to explore the awareness of teachers in K-12 during the pandemic about several aspects of online learning: instructional strategies, motivational factors for students, and the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to lesson plans produced by teachers. This exploratory case study used a focus-group discussion and an evaluation form with a sample of thirty (N=30) teachers. The results showed that the teachers were unaware of some of the instructional strategies for online learning. The teachers and their students were not sufficiently prepared or qualified for the emergency transition to online learning. The results suggest that it is important to prepare professional development for teachers about instructional strategies and learning theories for online learning and blended learning.