Tele-secondary Teacher Narratives on Educational Transitions Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption to educational systems, impacting around 1.6 billion students worldwide. This represents 94% of the global student population, and up to 99% of students affected in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Consequently, an estimated 24 million students could potentially drop out of their studies. The objective of this research is to explore the narratives of tele-secondary school teachers regarding their teaching experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, describing key moments and lessons learned in the transition from in-person education to emergency remote education. Five tele-secondary teachers, comprising three women and two men, participated in a unique session of individual narrative interviews that lasted one to two hours. The results reveal that the pandemic presented individuals with a situation of emergency and uncertainty. However, it also provided them with an opportunity for growth and learning where teachers developed new, creative, and compassionate methods to continue distance education, even in rural settings with vulnerable youth. It is concluded that access to technology and the internet, along with training in Information Technology, Communication, Knowledge, and Digital Learning [Tecnologías de la Información, Comunicación, Conocimiento y Aprendizaje Digitales - TICCAD], are essential for bridging the gap between individuals who can continue their studies despite the public health emergency and those who are at risk of dropping out. In response to this gap, the strategies implemented by teachers during the pandemic prevented the dropout of the most vulnerable students.