Abstract:

The role of teachers has been strongly challenged during the current pandemic. The aim of this work is to obtain insights on teachers’ functions, attributes and skills during this transition process, considering university students’ viewpoints. A mix-method approach has been employed to investigate this research aim. Firstly, a qualitative study was conducted through focus groups with students in November of 2020. The objective of this part of the research was to propose different teacher functions, skills, and attributes during the pandemic. The second part of the research took place from December of 2020 until March of 2021 and was quantitative in nature. Eight functions, five skills, and eight attributes emerged from focus groups. The quantitative analysis of data, obtained from the sample of 208 students, suggested that lecturer, inspirer and supporter were the most relevant teacher functions during the current pandemic. Communication, technology, savvy and organizational skills were the most desirable teacher skills among students, while willingness to help, empathy, understanding, and flexibility were the most salient desired attributes.

Keywords:

COVID-19, university teachers, role, functions, skills, attributes, mix-method, focus groups.