Factors Constraining Teachers’ Wellbeing and Agency in a Finnish University: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced teachers to undergo a sudden shift toward technology-enhanced teaching and learning, challenging their capacities for change in many ways. This study explores those factors constraining teachers’ wellbeing and agency that influenced their capacities as teachers in a Finnish university during the first year of the pandemic. Two sets of data were collected, with an online survey in the spring (n = 297) and autumn (n = 246) of 2020. At both times, challenges with workload, time management, and interactions with colleagues were found to be the most constraining factors. Difficulties with work–life balance and home office facilities seemed more of an issue in the spring, whereas transforming teaching and adopting new technological tools were reported as more burdensome in the autumn. The findings show the need for teachers to be heard and holistically supported, particularly when extensive changes in teaching arrangements are expected on a rapid schedule.

Unintended Pedagogical Consequences of Emergency Remote Teaching at a Rural-Based University in South Africa

“…This meant that what would have been conducted at the university had to be performed at home because of the pandemic. This change caused an increased workload for both teachers and students [18,[25][26][27].…”

Teachers’ Agency in Technology for Education in Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Periods: A Systematic Literature Review

“…However, insufficient computer labs and power outages have become significant challenges before the COVID outbreak [57]. The biggest concern during the post-COVID era was the unavailability of technology at home [54,73]. Further, teachers complained about the inadequate technical equipment during post-COVID, emphasising the limitation of the existing equipment for a successful and continuous online delivery [65].…”

“…The studies concluded the time constraint differently during the post-COVID period. According to teachers, shifting to online platforms added an extra workload [35,36,40,48,73]. The findings of Thumvichit [40], Wang [48], and Mohammad Freihat [36] specifically noted the teacher's lack of interest in exploring new technological features due to the time required in exploring and preparing.…”

“…Due to the COVID, teachers have been forced to shift to digital platforms. They had to change the materials, contents, and teaching plans to make them suitable for online delivery, and these changes added extra workload, which consumed more time [35,54,61,73]. Due to a lack of familiarity, teachers had to spend considerable time practising new features [73].…”

“…They had to change the materials, contents, and teaching plans to make them suitable for online delivery, and these changes added extra workload, which consumed more time [35,54,61,73]. Due to a lack of familiarity, teachers had to spend considerable time practising new features [73]. Therefore, it is observed that the technology cannot be integrated with immediate notice and needs a reasonable timeframe for teachers to plan and learn.…”