Resisting low engagement in collegiate aviation emergency remote teaching during the pandemic: an interpretive phenomenological analysis

Abstract

This dissertation examines the key challenges faced by collegiate aviation faculty members as they transitioned from in-person coursework to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews profiled four collegiate aviation faculty members' experiences with the transition to ERT and how they adapted to initial low levels of student engagement. Faculty responded to the initial low levels of engagement by deemphasizing extended Zoom sessions and shifting to more studentcentered online activities, often completed asynchronously in an online group setting. Discussion boards and Zoom breakout sessions, in addition to facilitating more student-centered assignments, were found to be more effective at maintaining a social presence than onedirectional Zoom lectures. Eventually, as faculty iterated their course designs though the pandemic, more traditional online courses emerged, which complied to a greater extent with recommended online pedagogical models and instructional strategies. Along with students' growing experience with self-regulated learning skills, overall engagement with ERT coursework seemed to increase toward the tail end of the pandemic. The study concludes with recommendations for future ERT preparedness, emphasizing the integration of online teaching elements in traditional courses, fostering communities of inquiry, prioritizing student-centered activities with online coursework, and enhancing support for students' self-regulated learning and academic writing skills.