LESSONS FROM COVID-19: Secondary School Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions of Emergency Remote Teaching in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition to emergency remote teaching (ERT) across all educational institutions in Trinidad and Tobago. ERT placed numerous demands on teachers as they adjusted to multiple roles as caregivers and online teachers while negotiating the intrusion of work into the home space. This paper reports findings from a perception survey of 146 in-service teachers enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme between March 2020 and April 2021. Findings describe the technological, pedagogical, and social challenges teachers experienced during ERT. Although in-person schooling has resumed, teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching during the pandemic can influence conceptions of teaching and learning in Trinidad and Tobago. The authors argue for a shift to more human-centred, technologically innovative education systems to future-proof education.