‘Kindness and empathy beyond all else’: Challenges to professional identities of Higher Education teachers during COVID-19 times

Abstract

COVID-19 has continued to effect higher education globally in significant ways. During 2020, many institutions shifted learning online overnight as the sector closed its doors and opened new sites for remote teaching. This article reports on an international study [Phillips et al., 2021] that sought to capture how cross-sectoral teachers experienced these emergency changes during the first months of restrictions. The data, analysed using narrative identity theory, revealed concerns that fall into two broad categories: technologies and relationships. Significantly, it was not a loss of content delivery or changes to assessment that prompted the greatest anxiety for our colleagues, but that they held significant concerns about their students’ mental health; inequities of access to a range of services including technological; and challenges connecting emotionally with their students at a distance. The results provide actionable strategies for higher education institutions to apply in future emergencies where remote teaching is necessary.

Editorial: Learning identities in times of COVID-19

“…Despite its disruptive effect, the pandemic not only brought new demands and changes but also contributed to the development of new ways of social organization, new positions, and roles, thus the pandemic imposed the development of a new sense of self in the context of education, shaping the future of learning and teaching (Smith et al, 2022). In line with the results of the studies in this series, we can conclude that these changes developed our resilience and capacity to respond to future challenges (Cain et al, 2022). As such, there are significant findings and implications from these studies, in that they present the reality that teachers and students faced and which led to the improvement of educational processes, to the increase of the wellbeing of all actors, and to the support of their autonomy, motivation, and engagement in education.…”

Wellbeing Learnings from Pandemic Pedagogies in Aotearoa New Zealand

“…6 . Colleagues who analysed data from higher education participants in the wider survey similarly found that those respondents “perhaps unexpectedly moved purposefully towards understanding, meaning-making, agency, creativity, and hope, with a central emphasis on relationships and a pedagogy of care and kindness” (Cain et al, 2022 , p. 15). They concluded that: “Learning through adversity has seen our participants come out the other side as more skilled, empathetic, and creative teachers.…”

“…They concluded that: “Learning through adversity has seen our participants come out the other side as more skilled, empathetic, and creative teachers. Should they be forced to teach online in the future, they will be ready to meet that challenge” (Cain et al, 2022 , p. 16).…”

O Impacto da pandemia na aprendizagem dos estudantes: Um ensaio sobre o futuro do ensino superior

“…O ensino superior oferece oportunidades para a troca de resultados de investigação, experiências e percepções, e fornece um fórum para discussões contínuas entre especialistas. A pandemia não foi nem é, por si só, criadora de situações de excepções, mas é bastante relevante na sua prática (Cain et al, 2022). Há um esforço a fazer por parte dos estudantes para recuperarem algumas falhas que a pandemia provocou no ensino.…”