Sense of Competence and Feelings of Stress of Higher Education Faculty in the Transition to Remote Teaching: What Can We Learn from COVID-19 Pandemic in the Long Run

Abstract

This study focuses on measuring and characterizing the sense of competence and feelings of stress of higher education faculty in the transition to ‘Emergency Remote Teaching’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their willingness to adopt it in future. A total of 318 higher education faculty responded to a new questionnaire, developed and validated by the researchers. The findings show that the faculty experience a high sense of competence, related to positive feedback on remote teaching, a tighter trust relationship with the students, and their personal and professional development in the field of techno-pedagogy. Higher education faculty indicate feelings of stress on a medium-low level manifested by frustration and overburden due to difficulties in their interaction with the students, lack of reward, vague home–work boundaries, and techno-pedagogical challenges. The findings show that the more competent and the less stress higher education faculty feel regarding remote teaching, the more they wish to adopt it in future. The findings outline a desirable way to support higher education faculty and their professional development, aiming to reduce feelings of stress and enhance their sense of competence in remote teaching. Thus, they can implement changes, facing the challenges and expectations of higher education’s “new normal” in which technology will play a key role.