Covid-19 made a significant impact on education. The pandemic expediated a paradigm shift in the way education is perceived and delivered. The pandemic accelerated the need for online learning platforms that are flexible, ready and responsive to rapid changes. Literature abounds on the effects of this rapid transition from face-to-face classes to blended/online teaching-learning environments for students. Despite the exponential growth of online learning and blended learning, there is scant literature on one key player to the success of this relatively fluid, new mode of delivery: the teacher educators. Covid-19 meant educators had to keep abreast with the rapid emergence of new technologies, adapt the education system and built e-platforms to meet the realities of teaching online. Educators also faced myriad of challenges including modifying course content, course delivery, learning resources, learning support and assessments to online platforms. This presentation is based on a self-study project undertaken by a teacher educator as part of a larger team research project by the School of Education. The aim of the project is to build team capability, team resilience, team cohesion and team vision navigating times of rapid change. Using the Self-study methodology and embedding the principles of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), this teacher educator, used the two-pronged AI approach to conduct the Self-study. Life-giving experiences were ‘stalked’ from the past as a means to give greater meaning and clarity to her current teaching experiences moving from a face-to-face onsite delivery programme to a blended and then, swiftly, online mode of delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weaving the principles of Appreciative Inquiry, this teacher educator captured the journey which re-energised her professional practice. Among the key findings included the importance of: nurturing relational pedagogy in an online space; creating an online space for connectedness and promoting resilience through holistic well-being, self-motivation and team cohesion. The implications of these findings to teacher educators, teacher education and tertiary education will be discussed to provoke some discussion on the professional development of teacher educators in times of rapid change.

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Abstract Summary
The Covid-19 pandemic made a significant impact on education and accelerated the need for online learning platforms that are flexible, ready and responsive to rapid changes. Literature abounds on the effects of this rapid transformation in education landscapes on tertiary students. However, there is scant literature on the experiences of teacher educators as they navigated and adapted to the rapid emergence of new technologies in online teaching environments. This presentation is based on a self-study project undertaken by a teacher educator as part of a larger team research project by the School of Education. Using the Self-study methodology and embedding the principles of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), this teacher educator’s project revealed the importance of relational pedagogy in an online space and the building of individual and team resilience as the cornerstone for quality online environments. These findings have implications for the professional development of teacher educators.

Authors:
Susie Kung, Manukau Institute of Technology, New Zealand

About the Presenter(s)
Susie Kung has been in education since 1980 and in teacher education for over 26 years. She is a Senior Lecturer from the School of Education, Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also the Academic Lead providing pastoral care and work with the wider Manukau Institute of Technology learning support and counselling teams to aide retention and success. She has substantial experience in education and teacher education both in Malaysia and New Zealand.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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