The Transformation of Rural Elementary Classroom English Language Teachers During Distance Learning: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the transformation of rural elementary classroom teachers who transitioned to distance learning with English learners (ELs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the California Central Valley. The theory guiding this study is Mezirow’s transformative learning theory. At the same time the conceptual framework is Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), as both will ascribe meaning to how EL teachers transformed their perspectives, assumptions, feelings, and judgments while conducting distance learning. The research question guiding this study is: What transformation did teachers experience while providing distance learning instruction to rural elementary English learners during the COVID-19 pandemic? The design is based on Moustakas’ methods for transcendental phenomenology, which involves Epoché, transcendental phenomenological reduction, and Imaginative Variation. Thirteen participants were selected through purposeful snowball sampling. The setting was rural elementary schools in a county located in the California Central Valley. Data was obtained through questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Data analyses and organization were conducted through the methods and procedures of phenomenal research. Findings revealed that teachers were transformed while they provided distance learning but reverted to their old ways when they returned to the classroom. Implications include offering a course that contains technology-based instruction for ELs, professional development for emergency lesson plans and online applications geared toward ELs, administrative support for teacher collaboration, and having a growth mindset that helps teachers overcome fears and challenges