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Purpose of the Study and Research Question
The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore how the COVID-19
global pandemic impacted the teaching of two veteran middle school teachers. This
study was guided by the following question: What stories can two veteran middle
school teachers on the island of Oahu in the Campbell-Kapolei Complex in the
Leeward District tell us about the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on their
teaching?

Literature Review Dr. Carli Miyashiro is the
Behavior Dean at Kapolei
COVID’s Impact on Education Middle School and a
The COVID-19 lockdown forced virtually all K–12 schools in the United States lecturer at the University
to close and move to an online platform to deliver education through Internet-based of Hawaii at West Oahu.
apps, television, and other electronic means (Bhamani et al., 2020; Decker et al., 2020; She is a member of Theta
Minkos & Gelbar, 2020). This transition was easier in schools with prior experience Chapter in Hawaii State
Organization, where
with technology but difficult in those with vulnerable and disadvantaged populations she currently serves as
because of weak infrastructure and lack of access to the Internet (Bhamani et al., recording secretary and
2020; Minkos & Gelbar, 2021). Although not everyone had access to technology, webmaster. She also
parents and guardians were asked to help students with their learning (Bhamani et serves on the Hawaii
al., 2020), as teachers could not be physically present in the child’s home. State Organization
Parents and students were not the only ones who felt the impact of COVID-19 Communications
closures; educators were similarly affected. Many teachers were also parents, so not Committee as the
newsletter editor.
only did they have to teach from home but they also had to work with their children
as pupils at home. Like colleagues throughout the world (Kim & Asbury, 2020), in Carli.masik@gmail.com
addition to helping students and their own children, the teachers also worried about
the vulnerable and disadvantaged populations and felt uncertain about the future.
These additional concerns added more stress to the teachers’ lives.

Traditional, Face-to-Face Teaching and Learning
Before COVID-19, most teacher-training programs focused on face-to-face
instruction with students. Preservice candidates were taught teacher-centered and
student-centered strategies and encouraged to improve their practice continuously
(Devine et al., 2013). One benefit of face-to-face teaching is that all students are in the
same place simultaneously (Redmond, 2011). Teachers meet with an entire class and
work with them in person, allowing students to apply the new learning confidently
with the support of a teacher who is physically nearby (Bhattacharya et al., 2020).
Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) found that, while students were physically in the
classroom, taking notes by hand positively impacted a student’s performance on
tests when compared to taking notes on a computer or laptop as would happen in
an asynchronous classroom. Another benefit of face-to-face learning is that students
receive immediate teacher feedback (Ryan et al., 1999). Furthermore, Ahn and
McEachin (2017) found that students in traditional classrooms performed better than
students who were learning in a distance model.
Although face-to-face education has its benefits, some scholars have suggested
challenges with this mode of delivery. Zafar and Akhtar (2021) described face-to-
face and traditional teaching methods as passive ways of disseminating knowledge
because teachers speak and students listen to information. This lack of active
learning could be a reason some students are not motivated to come to class. Stone
and Perumean-Chaney (2011) also stated that teachers might become complacent in
their teaching as they could reuse the same lessons year after year.

Educators’ Choice 53