Understanding rural teachers’ experiences of instructional difficulties and factors affecting their feelings of self-efficacy during COVID-19

As COVID-19 presented many challenges for teachers in maintaining emergency remote learning, I used semi-structured interviews to explore the challenges faced by 10 secondary school teachers working in the Acha-Kayyngdy region, a rural area in Kyrgyzstan, during the pandemic. I also explored the factors influencing their sense of self-efficacy. Analysing content collected during interviews, I found that emergency remote teaching resulted in teachers experiencing difficulties such as accessing the internet, keeping up with new technology and methods, and attracting students’ attention. Some factors also influenced teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. The study provided insight into the demands of emergency remote teaching for teachers in disadvantaged areas, families, policymakers, school principals, and educators.