Faculty's transformational digital teaching experiences during the pandemic

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR of PHILOSOPHY in CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas.The transition to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated that faculty pivot to online delivery regardless of perceptions, readiness, or technical knowledge. The need to understand the experiences and motivations of faculty members who had to switch their traditional courses to fully online delivery during the Spring 2020 semester underpinned this phenomenological study. Due to the digital nature of the experience, the digital competencies of educators across three domains and the technology used to support the competencies were examined. Seventeen participants took part in the phenomenological study framed by the Self-Determination Theory and DigCompEdu model of digital competencies of educators. As a result of data analysis, six themes aligned to the three research questions emerged. The findings revealed the presence of the previously identified motivators and some unexpected results. Professional growth was the most discussed category of motivation. None of the seventeen participants felt their job was threatened by online education. Few participants expressed concern about the rigor and quality of online courses. Students’ expectations of flexibility expectations in their traditional courses led to the discussions of a “new normal� in the form of a broader implementation of the blended learning model. Insufficient engagement with students and peers was the predominant avoidance motivator, followed by insufficient support and preparedness, negative student experiences, and administrative pressure. The sense of accomplishment, confidence, enjoyment, and self-improvement faculty felt while teaching online lie at the core of intrinsic motivation, which in turn leads to increased autonomy. The study suggested strategies to support both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for faculty with practical suggestions for administration and possible future research.Educational Leadership, Curriculum & InstructionCollege of Education and Human Developmen