Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global transition from in-person to online instruction leaving many higher education faculty with little time or training for this responsibility. Physical therapist education programs were especially impacted since a large part of the development of skills rely on fac...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/3/130 |
| _version_ | 1797540892811198464 |
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| author | Laura Plummer Beliz Belgen Kaygısız Cymara Pessoa Kuehner Shweta Gore Rebecca Mercuro Naseem Chatiwala Keshrie Naidoo |
| author_facet | Laura Plummer Beliz Belgen Kaygısız Cymara Pessoa Kuehner Shweta Gore Rebecca Mercuro Naseem Chatiwala Keshrie Naidoo |
| author_sort | Laura Plummer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global transition from in-person to online instruction leaving many higher education faculty with little time or training for this responsibility. Physical therapist education programs were especially impacted since a large part of the development of skills rely on face-to-face onsite practice. This phenomenological study explored the perceptions of physical therapist educators in three countries—Brazil, Cyprus, and the United States, who transitioned to an entirely virtual medium of teaching during the pandemic. Sixteen faculty participated in 1:1 semi-structured interviews. Trustworthiness of qualitative inquiry was ascertained using triangulation, thick descriptions, and peer reviews. Four major themes emerged from analysis of participants’ interview data: adapting pedagogy in real-time, expected excellence, limitations of the medium, and informing future teaching practice. All participants described teaching during the pandemic as one of the most challenging experiences of their professional careers. Despite available resources, faculty noted challenges in making authentic connections with students, adapting to technological interruptions, assessment of student understanding of content, and managing work-life balance. Despite the challenges, faculty worked collaboratively with peers to innovate new approaches of creating social, cognitive, and teaching presence. Unique opportunities arose from the pandemic to enhance future teaching practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:08:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28ed5cd050a64e4689feb41ca7407beb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:08:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-28ed5cd050a64e4689feb41ca7407beb2023-11-21T10:57:02ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022021-03-0111313010.3390/educsci11030130Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United StatesLaura Plummer0Beliz Belgen Kaygısız1Cymara Pessoa Kuehner2Shweta Gore3Rebecca Mercuro4Naseem Chatiwala5Keshrie Naidoo6Department of Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02129, USADepartment of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, European University of Lefke, Lefke, Northern Cyprus, TR-10 Mersin, TurkeyDepartment of Physiotherapy, Centro Universitário Christus, Fortaleza, CE 60160-230, BrazilDepartment of Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02129, USADepartment of Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02129, USADepartment of Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02129, USADepartment of Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02129, USAThe COVID-19 pandemic led to a global transition from in-person to online instruction leaving many higher education faculty with little time or training for this responsibility. Physical therapist education programs were especially impacted since a large part of the development of skills rely on face-to-face onsite practice. This phenomenological study explored the perceptions of physical therapist educators in three countries—Brazil, Cyprus, and the United States, who transitioned to an entirely virtual medium of teaching during the pandemic. Sixteen faculty participated in 1:1 semi-structured interviews. Trustworthiness of qualitative inquiry was ascertained using triangulation, thick descriptions, and peer reviews. Four major themes emerged from analysis of participants’ interview data: adapting pedagogy in real-time, expected excellence, limitations of the medium, and informing future teaching practice. All participants described teaching during the pandemic as one of the most challenging experiences of their professional careers. Despite available resources, faculty noted challenges in making authentic connections with students, adapting to technological interruptions, assessment of student understanding of content, and managing work-life balance. Despite the challenges, faculty worked collaboratively with peers to innovate new approaches of creating social, cognitive, and teaching presence. Unique opportunities arose from the pandemic to enhance future teaching practice.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/3/130physical therapist educatorsonline teaching and learningpandemic |
| spellingShingle | Laura Plummer Beliz Belgen Kaygısız Cymara Pessoa Kuehner Shweta Gore Rebecca Mercuro Naseem Chatiwala Keshrie Naidoo Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States Education Sciences physical therapist educators online teaching and learning pandemic |
| title | Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States |
| title_full | Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States |
| title_fullStr | Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States |
| title_short | Teaching Online during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study of Physical Therapist Faculty in Brazil, Cyprus, and The United States |
| title_sort | teaching online during the covid 19 pandemic a phenomenological study of physical therapist faculty in brazil cyprus and the united states |
| topic | physical therapist educators online teaching and learning pandemic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/3/130 |
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