Teaching Online during Covid-19 crisis

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the teaching-learning activities of almost all universities across the globe. To continue the teaching-learning activities, most of the universities switched to online mode of teaching. Using hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, this study explored the lived experiences of the faculty members of business schools who began teaching online during this pandemic. The data were collected through conversational interviews with seven faculty members who were teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in various business schools in Nepal. The analysis of data revealed six themes: (1) Faculty members were caught off guard, (2) Sneaking a peek by students, (3) Building a bridge by the faculty members, (4) Faculty members were holding on the past, (5) Students were dragging their feet, and (6) Faculty members were trying to climb a mountain without a rope. The findings suggest that the faculty members felt that they were not prepared to teach online and did not receive enough logistical support from their institutions. They also showed their skepticism regarding the effectiveness of online teaching. The implications of the study have been highlighted and some of the limitations have been indicated.