Browsing by Author "Bishop-Swart, Shannon"

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    A study of teacher emotions in a unique online learning environment due to a pandemic lockdown.
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Bishop-Swart, Shannon; Jansen, Jonathan D.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the emotional activation and affective responses of teachers during their fully virtual teaching experience in a unique online environment resulting from the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two data collection instruments were used in this mixed methods study. The first was the weekly digital diaries of three English Second Language (ESL) teachers based at a Language Centre affiliated with a South African university collected over eight weeks during the initial lockdowns. The second data collection instrument was a digital questionnaire that included quantitative and qualitative questions responded to by 25 other teachers in adult education environments in South Africa. Three different conceptual frameworks were used to test the interrelatedness of practice of teachers, achievement emotions, and personal and professional relationships during a disruption in education in which teaching and learning were fully online. First, Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988) was used as a tool to analyse the digital diaries of the three ESL teachers’ according to the six stages of the reflective cycle. Second, Pekrun's (2006) control value theory was used to identify control, value, emotions, and perceived success in teachers, and to identify the degree of emotional activation of teachers across seven elements of teaching practice. Third, Hargreaves' (2001) emotional geographies highlight the effect personal and professional relationships had on teachers’ emotions during the pandemic. While the theoretical approaches differ, the use of an integrated framework that relies on reflective teacher practice may be a unique way to identify and interpret teacher emotions, specifically in preparation for future educational disruptions. The findings of this study indicated that teachers reported experiencing increased anxiety and frustration mostly related to technology and institutional expectations, but enjoyment remained the highest scoring emotion reported on six of the seven elements of teaching practice examined. Furthermore, the improvement in teacher technology skills resulted in greater pride and hope. Teachers reported a heightened sense of concern and anxiety towards their students, and an increase in frustration, anxiety, and anger directed mainly at their respective institutions, particularly due to the uncertainty they and their students faced during the pandemic. This study further addressed the gap in research on teacher emotions in higher education in South Africa, suggesting future research focuses on teacher emotions in multilingual education contexts such as those predominantly found in South Africa. Lastly, this study highlights the usefulness of both a multilayered framework and a mixed methods approach when studying a concept such as teacher emotions in general and in preparation for future educational disruptions specifically.