A transnational comparative study of teachers’ experiences of remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

This article presents the findings of an international comparative multiple-case study that examined the sudden change from classroom to remote online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study specifically explored the experiences of teachers in Northern Finland, England, and Norway to provide new information about the education situation and to guide the description of the areas that should guide the education of future teachers.

The data were collected in three different ways in three different contexts: via an online survey of in-service teachers in Lapland, Finland (N = 164), and through different semi-structured interviews with teachers in England (N = 20) and Northern Norway (N = 30). The data analysis was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on teachers’ experiences in teaching and learning and the second phase on teachers’ challenges.

The results voice the teachers’ desire for more education on online pedagogy and practicals, the pedagogical use of technology, and the significance of teacher collaboration.

The findings can be used for the development of teacher education to ensure the dynamic digitalization of future teacher education programmes and policies.