Teaching under lockdown: the change in the social practice of teaching

Due to the unprecedented situation caused by a global pandemic, the traditional way of teaching that is reliant on face-to-face interaction between teachers and students has been dismantled. This article looks into university teachers' experiences of teaching under lockdown, with an intention to understand what the change meant in terms of social practice. The research follows a qualitative design, in which ten university teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Three themes interwoven with a common thread were identified through teachers' reflections, including displacement, routine, and role. The common thread was identified as the interaction between teachers and students, and analysing the quality of this interaction led to understanding the social kernel of teaching as embedded in social practice, suggesting that physical dislocation demands teachers to recreate meaning in the new situation. This change has been seen as difficult, yet unpacking teachers' perceptions provided valuable lessons for the future.

Automated summary

This article explores university teachers' experiences of teaching during the global pandemic lockdown, revealing the need for teachers to recreate meaning and understand the social core of teaching in the new situation, providing valuable lessons for the future.