When Covid-19 is only part of the picture: caring pedagogy in higher education in Guatemala

ABSTRACT

Education across the world has faced unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns. Mass school closures have forced students and teachers in almost every country to move their classrooms and lecture halls to online platforms. This article is set in Guatemala and provides insights into teaching at a university in a country that is also impacted economic instability, political corruption and natural disaster. The article is written using autoethnography and narrative inquiry to illuminate the concept of caring pedagogy in higher education. It highlights the challenges and choices faced by one of the authors as Covid-19 exacerbates the inequities, dislocation and instability in an already fragile political and educational system. It ends, however, on a positive note, as the response to Covid-19 in higher education turns to a more humane approach.

Keywords:

• Covid-19
• higher education
• caring pedagogy
• Guatemala

Disclosure statement

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