Sustaining a Positive Virtual School Climate through Online Teaching in the Covid-19 Pandemic Context

Abstract

The well-established standards in the education sector got ripped off with Covid-19 resulting to initial tentative fumbling to newly adapted norms worldwide, thus impacting heavily on school climate. The purpose of this study is to understand the virtual challenges faced by school leaders and teachers during the Covid-19 crisis period to sustain a positive school climate. This qualitative study considers a phenomenological approach where the personal and professional experiences of stakeholders are interpreted and analysed through thematic and content analysis. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis are used to encapsulate the two dimensions of school climate – teaching and learning and safety. Purposive sampling targets 42 teachers and 4 school leaders from 4 secondary
schools. This study found that the initial asynchronous mode of online teaching adopted failed lamentably. The later zoom sessions with students’ cameras off and muted, low attendance, delayed answers from students, parents’ scrutiny, students and other members popping in and out made online teaching a challenging ‘one-man show’ task, more like a ‘public climate’ than a classroom teaching-learning climate. The reintegration into face-toface learning witnessed oncoming challenges of sluggishness, lack of interest in studies, demotivated and unsettled spirit, increased cases of indiscipline but extra-curricular activities
kindled students’ enthusiasm and happiness, and teachers have become more resilient. This study raises awareness towards value system like working as an altruistic team, swift intelligent decision-making by school leaders, and strengthening of mutual dependence. All the stakeholders at the school level and the national crisis team should work in close collaboration for the successful adaptation to the new teaching and learning uncertain environment