Emergency Online Teaching in Economic and Management Sciences Necessitated by the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Need for Healthy Relations in a Rural Schooling Context

Abstract

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the pandemic has necessitated new ways of teaching that favour online learning. Emergency online teaching (EOT) was adopted to address various challenges, such as a lack of competence in teachers for teaching online using digital learning management systems, shortcomings regarding internet connectivity, and resistance by teachers to using EOT. Relational leadership couched the study, with an emphasis on constructing positive relationships to forge sustainable learning conditions. A Whatsapp group was created to facilitate focus group discussions. The study found that EOT and learning is desirable and doable, even though various challenges need to be overcome, especially in rural schools. Therefore, there is a need for teachers to adjust their subject teaching plans, assessment details and teaching materials, and to adopt new ways of interacting with learners through EOT during the COVID-19 pandemic. The argument of the paper is that, in the context of COVID-19, education stakeholders should invest in healthy relationships to facilitate the adoption of EOT, in order to construct conducive learning conditions in rural contexts. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.6.23