Abstract
In South Africa, many university students and school learners from historically disadvantaged backgrounds continue to struggle on a daily basis with inadequate or non-existent Internet access. In conjunction with the enactment of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2021, these conditions have presented significant challenges to the educational progress of university students and school learners and, in the process, have further broadened social inequalities. Such conditions have also posed an additional threat to the resilience and agency of students and school learners, qualities, I argue, are crucial to their academic success. Using the lens of Mishra and Koehler’s (2009) original Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the purpose of this research is to identify the knowledge domains of a sample of pre-service teachers (PSTs) and the lessons they learnt from the transition to ERT during their teaching practice in 2021. The research’s objectives are threefold: First, to investigate PSTs’ perceptions of the function and value of ERT in South African schools and its implications for fostering learners’ resilience during crises. Second, to investigate the specific remote teaching and learning strategies employed by the teachers, the PSTs observed in response to the pandemic, assessing their potential to support and enhance school learners’ resilience during such difficult times. Third, I offer what can be considered to be essential requirements for educators to adequately prepare for potential educational crises, focusing specifically on strategies that develop learners’ resilience and assure learning continuity.
Presenters
Zayd WaghidAssociate Professor, Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Western Cape, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Digital Literacy for Future Readiness
KEYWORDS
Emotional Knowledge, Learner Resilience, Pre-service Teachers, Crises, TPACK
