The Comparison of the Adaptation of Public and Private School Teachers to Distance Education during the COVID19 Pandemic

Abstract

This phenomenological study aims to reveal the adaptation of public and private school teachers in Turkey to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposeful sampling was used to form a study group. The study group consisted of 30 teachers working in Istanbul. A semi-structured interview form was prepared to collect data and interviews were conducted through phone calls or online meetings. The collected data were analyzed by phenomenological analysis. According to the findings, private school teachers were found to try more to acquire alternative skills and competencies and receive online vocational training to adapt to the novel situation and school administrators’ performance demands. Participants from public schools did not get enough feedback from their students and parents about the courses they taught and were largely deprived of the support of their colleagues. For them, adaptation to distance education turned into a process carried out with individual efforts. Studies can be conducted in this direction with a view to investigating the relationship between environmental uncertainty, job security and career adaptation based on the findings of this research.