Teaching in times of crisis: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education

ABSTRACT

Although increasing numbers of studies have examined online teaching in the last decade, examination during a crisis context is rare. This study fills this critical gap and is a rapid response research to suggest insights on how to manage the transformation to online teaching as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. Based on 16 interviews with educators from a university located in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, namely, Qatar, we present measures of support that contribute towards charting the path to the next normal. Our recommendations are segregated along three categories of educator-focused support, student-focused support, and institution-focused support.

KEYWORDS:

• Covid-19
• higher education
• crisis
• pandemic
• online teaching

Acknowledgments

This paper was made possible by NPRP grant # [12S-0311-190314] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here

Notes

¹ A table showing the characteristics of the study’s participants is available from the first author upon request.

² The full interview protocol is available from the first author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Qatar National Research Fund [NPRP12S-0311-190314].

Notes on contributors

Heba Younis

Heba Younis is a Senior Lecturer of Enterprise at London South Bank University. Her work centres on international entrepreneurship, decision making and SMEs. She is an early career researcher and co-author of articles published and under review in Journal of International Management, International Business Review and Human Resource Development International.

Said Elbanna

Said Elbanna is Professor of Management at Qatar University. His work centres on the role of management research in developing organisations and nations. He is the (co-) author of more than 60 journal articles published in journals such as Journal of Business Ethics and Strategic Management Journal. He has received several regional and international awards for research, teaching and service.