Gender, Faculty Status, and Discipline as Predictors of Teaching in Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way of life for people and businesses around the world. Institutions of higher education and their constituents are no exception. As the pandemic began, colleges and universities moved their operations and teaching modalities online. The emergency shift to remote learning and operating has put a strain on higher education students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The influence of the pandemic has highlighted some vulnerabilities and areas of needed support within specific categories of faculty, which should continue to be explored and better addressed. This quantitative study uses a faculty survey to examine the move to remote teaching from a faculty perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study relies on secondary data analysis of data collected by the Office of Institutional Research at a large, public four-year institution in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States to answer the following research questions: 1. How has COVID-19 changed the usage of technology, various teaching methods, and adjustments to course expectations? 2. Are there age, faculty status, and/or discipline differences in usage of technology, various teaching methods, and adjustments to course assignments? 3. Post-COVID-19, how do faculty status/rank and gender influence maintaining work-life balance?