A Qualitative Case Study of the Evolution of Community College Faculty during a Rapid Transition from Direct to eLearning Instruction during a Pandemic

Abstract

The problem addressed was post-secondary faculty’s continued resistance to learning and using eLearning technology to its maximum capacity to achieve learning outcomes in concert with the often-biased samples in research on the change process and faculty perceptions of their transition from direct instruction to eLearning. Most research on faculty perceptions of transitioning from direct instruction to eLearning solely includes faculty who voluntarily transitioned and were not forced; thus, the sample is often biased about faculty opinions and perceptions regarding their experience. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive single-case study was to explore community college faculty experiences with transition from direct to eLearning instruction and uses of a learning management system in the context of the rapid change process before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-seven community college faculty employed full-time during the 2019-2020 school year participated in the study. All were forced to transition to a full eLearning model due to the national emergency declaration and school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, surveys, and secondary documents. Lewin’s (1951) Change Theory served as the theoretical framework. Thematic analysis revealed participants represented their lived experiences through the following themes evolving states of readiness, emotionally charged, and a time of personal growth. The faculty reported that (a) administrative and institutional guidance and (b) asynchronous and synchronous accessibility and usability tools acted as both driving and restraining forces during their forced unfreezing. The participants’ varying levels of readiness for eLearning impacted their change experience. Limitations were that only one community college was sampled, and only full-time faculty were sampled. Key recommendations for practice include the exploration and re-evaluation of professional development offerings, more resources and strategies to fast-track transformative initiatives, and integration of modern technological advancements. Future research should focus on conducting a mixed-methods study to explore Community College Faculty (CCF) needs during change and technology that may result in a strategic plan for future rapid institutional change to increase readiness for instructional delivery changes that stem from outside forces.