The transition processes of teaching and learning during and after a global pandemic in a higher education institution

The global Covid-19 pandemic precipitated unprecedented disruptions to higher education 
institutions (HEIs), compelling a rapid transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to 
remote, online, and blended modalities. Many HEIs, particularly in resource-constrained 
contexts, were underprepared for this shift, exposing longstanding infrastructural and socio
economic inequalities while forcing students and lecturers to adapt to unfamiliar forms of 
engagement. This study explores the transition processes of teaching and learning during and 
after the global pandemic within a School of Education in a South African HEI, focusing on 
lecturers’ experiences of adopting multi-modal and blended teaching approaches. A qualitative, 
intrinsic case study design was employed, involving ten lecturers from four departments in the 
School of Education who were conveniently sampled. Data were collected through semi
structured online and face-to-face interviews conducted over six months. They were analysed 
using inductive thematic analysis to develop an in-depth understanding of lecturers’ narratives 
of change, adaptation, and resilience. The study revealed inadequate institutional resources and 
digital infrastructure, significant pedagogical transitions towards multi-modal and blended 
approaches, heightened awareness of students’ diverse and changing needs, and the 
development of lecturers’ pedagogical, technological, and assessment competencies. While 
many students experienced difficulties in accessing learning, the period also fostered 
autonomous learning, resilience, and the re-thinking of assessment practices.