Educators’ experiences in engaging and supporting business undergraduate students in an emergency remote teaching environment: Insights for enhanced teaching practises

Abstract

Global disruptions triggered by crises such as COVID-19 have a significant impact on the higher education sector, forcing a transition to remote learning which creates serious repercussions on student learning. Despite the considerable scholarship on learning and teaching generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a gap in understanding educator experiences in engaging and supporting students online. A qualitative case study research methodology was used to explore the experiences of educators from an Australian university business school during the pivot to remote teaching. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with eight academic staff and two academic skills advisors highlighted challenges and opportunities related to the experiences of the educators, with a particular focus on the use of teaching resources, instructional strategies and assessment design during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators found virtual consultations with students to be more effective and engaging compared to face-to-face, as students were less distracted during those consultations. The findings also highlighted the extent and variety of personalised support provided by educators to students but often at the cost of their own wellbeing. The study makes a valuable contribution to improving teaching and learning practises for a post-pandemic era and future educational practises in business education.