Teachers’ Learning Experiences: Typology of Transformative Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The destabilizing force of the COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for intricate change processes at both societal and individual levels. This study investigates the experiences of Latvian schoolteachers, examining the substantial changes they have undergone in their professional roles. The study seeks to illuminate the diverse ways in which teachers have engaged in transformative learning processes during three years of pandemic and to identify the challenges they encountered in the process. By delving into the transformative nature of teachers’ learning experiences, as a result a typology was developed to illustrate the trajectories of this change. The aim of the study was to investigate how transformative learning manifests in teachers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the orientation frames of the change teachers have undergone. Employing a qualitative design grounded in an ethnomethodology approach, the study utilized narrative interviews with 23 Latvian general education schoolteachers, adhering to the principles of maximum variation and theoretical saturation in sampling. The documentary method was employed for data analysis and interpretation. The reported outcome of this study is a two-dimensional typology of teachers’ transformative learning experiences, reflecting five axes of transformation: Digital Methodological, Relational, Self-Efficacy, Personal Boundary, Organizational Transformations. The study provides valuable insights into how educators adapt and evolve in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, while also identifying valuable support mechanisms.