Disruption as a Catalyst for Change? Effects of COVID-19 on the Perceptions and Approaches ofAcademics in Their Teaching.

Disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many university teachers to adopt new, often unfamiliar practices. We present results from complementary phenomenographic and thematic inquiry into how teachers experience and perceive this disruption, using the relational 3P model as a framework. Semi-structured interviews with academics conducted during the disruptive period (early 2021: complete) and over the longer term (late 2021 and mid-2022: planned) are examined. Employing a phenomenographic approach, we defined three dimensions of variation in perceptions and experiences: (a) teaching and learning; (b) institutional support, and (c) academic identity. Thematic analysis identified additional issues that influence how academics approach their teaching. A key emerging finding is that perceptions of support may mediate how the disruption affects academics’ teaching approaches and their academic identity. Using complementary analytical approaches will allow us to build on emerging findings to design investigations into the longer-term effects of this disruption.