Exploring teachers’ readiness and beliefs about emergency remote teaching in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reports on a study exploring Greek K–12 teachers’ views and beliefs about emergency remote teaching. A survey was conducted just after schools reopened on May 2020 and 694 teachers participated. The findings indicated that the majority of the participants conceptualised the pandemic as a turning point with regards to the role of digital technologies in schools. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four major factors that affected online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a) teachers’ abilities to design online learning activities; b) teachers’ professional development needs; c) impact of the pandemic on education; and d) teachers’ pedagogical conceptions of online learning. Qualitative data analysis revealed that teachers’ pedagogical skills, in terms of organising effective online learning environments and implementing e-learning interventions in K–12 classrooms, were the key factors for successful online instruction during the pandemic and beyond.