Experiences of remote teaching, technological pedagogical competencies and workload of teachers in northern Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic

In this study, we examine the experiences of teachers, particularly in relation to their remote teaching competencies, in the county of Lapland, North Finland, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they face new pedagogical challenges in remote teaching. To identify the teachers’ competency needs in remote teaching, the study uses questionnaire data (N=164) collected from primary, secondary and upper secondary school teachers. The results of the systematic representative survey study are analysed using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model to investigate the preconditions for and challenges in implementing remote teaching in terms of teachers’ competencies. The participants’ responses indicate that different municipalities prepared for remote teaching and learning in quite diverse ways. Some municipalities lacked the necessary tools for remote learning, and the workload increase and job satisfaction experienced by teachers were related to the digital tools provided by their employers. The development of teachers’ diverse competencies is pivotal in teacher education and in-service teacher training so that they can acquire the ability to take initiative and function well in diverse and changing educational contexts. This study outlines the dimensions of teachers’ technological pedagogical competencies that were further developed from the TPACK framework.