
Lecturers’ Reflections on Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning at a University in South Africa During COVID-19 Lockdown
Issue: Vol.3 No.6 June 2022 Article 3 pp. 238-255
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2022364 | Published online 24th June 2022.
© 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic came with a lot of disruptions which saw so many organisations and institutions shut down. Part of the changes brought about by the pandemic was the closure of educational institutions globally, thereby forcing the migration to emergency remote teaching and learning. Whilst some nations grappled with the challenges associated with this shift in the mode of teaching and learning, others tapped into the opportunities inherent in it. This study located in the interpretive paradigm employed a qualitative case study design that explored lecturers’ reflections on emergency remote teaching and learning at a university in South Africa during the intense stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Technology Acceptance Model was employed as a lens to make meaning of how lecturers perceive emergency remote teaching and learning in the science and technology cluster. The sample for the study consisted of nine participants, recruited from Science and Technology cluster, representing Biological/Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences and Technology Education faculties. The sample was selected through purposive and convenience sampling. Findings from the study revealed both challenges and opportunities for emergency remote teaching and learning. The challenges identified included, lecturers’ lack of readiness, students’ internet-related issues, and inability to execute practical tasks online. The positive aspect included improved skills in the use of ICT and diverse online platforms for both lecturers and students. Based on the findings, the study recommends that students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds be provided with the necessary ICT infrastructure to ensure their effective participation in online learning.
Keywords: COVID-19, Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL), lecturers; reflections; South Africa
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Dagogo William Legg-Jack, currently, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Directorate of Research Development and Innovation Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa. He obtained his Masters and PhD in Technology Education in Science and Technology Education Cluster, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. Dagogo has worked twice as a Contract lecturer in the Department of Technology Education, Science and Technology Education Cluster UKZN. In Nigeria, he has also served as a teacher in high schools, where he taught Technology-based subject. He also functioned as a lecturer in the Department of Metal Work Technology, School of Secondary Education (Technical), Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria for about twelve years. Dr Legg-Jack has supervised students’ research projects both at Nigerian Certificate of Education and undergraduate levels. He is a mentor to research students at Honours, Masters and Doctorate levels. Moreover, he has participated in seminars and conferences both within and outside South Africa and has published articles in peer reviewed journals that focus on skills development, poverty reduction as well as wealth creation. Some of his recent publications is titled “Readiness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Experiences of Students in Practical Courses During Covid-19 Pandemic at a University in South Africa”, Digitalisation of Teaching and Learning in Nigeria amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Lessons for Education 4.0 and 4IR.
Prof. Clever Ndebele is currently the Senior Director: Learning and Teaching at Walter Sisulu University. He has extensive experience in higher education studies with more than 10 years experience at the senior management level in the area of teaching and learning at several universities in South Africa. Has participated in several (NRF) research projects on academic staff development in collaboration with other universities and has also been involved in Teaching Development Grant National collaborative projects (namely PGDHE for educational development practitioners and PGDHE for academics). He is also a member of the CHE National Standards and Reviews Committee and the CHE Peer Advisory Group on Reconceptualising Teaching and Learning (RELATE). Prof Ndebele currently oversees academic staff development and student academic support and coordinates the University Capacity Development Programme, the New Generation of Academics Programme, National Siyaphumelela Student Success project and Future Professors Programme at Walter Sisulu University.
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© 2022 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Publishers. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).