The Pandemic Pivot: The Impact of COVID-19 on Mathematics and Statistics Post-Secondary Educators

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the face-toface mode traditionally used to engage learners in higher education.A majority of university faculty who were unfamiliar or untrained in teaching online courses were obliged to transform in-person courses to online instruction in the spring of 2020.This exploratory study considers the experience before and after the rapid pivot to online teaching, specifically related to mathematics and statistics instructors; subjects traditionally challenging to reproduce online.A Likert-style questionnaire was administered at four central Texas institutions of higher education to learn about the challenges math instructorsencountered.An open-ended response was also included in the survey to add clarity and allow respondents the opportunity to provide commentary in their own words, creating a fuller picture of online instruction during times of interference.Results highlight major challenges for instructors when transitioning from established face-to-face courses to online instruction.The study uncovers the impact on faculty related to technology use, classroom interaction, life/work balance, and concerns about learning outcomes.It also provides a glimpse into the personal and professional disruption associated with this transition.The study concludes that most faculty members surveyed did not change their preference for face-to-face teaching, yet many were amenable to using more online tools and slowly accepting additional technological formats.Increased institutional support, guidelines and training may offer a more positive experience for both educators and learners.Without such changes, unexpected future pivots may meet with similar educator frustrations.