Reflection =/= Praxis: Practicing Teachers' Struggles With Equitable Remote Instruction for Vulnerable Learners

• In Event: Teacher Learning in the Virtual Classroom

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to employ “emergency remote teaching” (ERT), so teachers had to enact new kinds of improvisation, reflection and problem solving. This qualitative study explores how 21 practicing teachers navigated the uncertainties and unique challenges of ERT in effort to meet the specific needs of vulnerable students.
Findings suggest participants equity-focused critical reflections rarely aligned with their practice, describing ERT conditions driving them to “survival” instructional practice and feelings of inadequacy supporting vulnerable learners. Implications of these findings suggest that to cultivate an equitable 21st-century education, professional development and teacher preparation may need to address problems of practice and uncertainties in real-time and provide ongoing engagement to foster better alignment between critical reflection with teacher praxis.

Author

• Kelli E. Woodrow, Regis University