Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate teaching quality as a practice during the corona pandemic. Teaching quality can be seen as a practice can somewhat simplified be understood as a contextual and collective action. The starting point of our study was Bronfenbrenner's (1979) bio-ecological development perspective and the process–person–context–time (PPCT) model (1998). The PPCT model is Bronfenbrenner`s working operationalization of his bioecological theory of human development. In this study, we focused on the person element of the PPCT model. We investigated the person element of the PPCT model by interviewing lecturers, their colleagues and immediate supervisors at the Continuing Education Department at the Police University College. Our empirical material consisted of 20 qualitative semi-structured interviews with staff at the Norwegian Police University College's continuing and further education department. They hall had teaching responsibilities during the pandemic, and 15 were in teaching positions and five were in management positions. The interviews lasted between 60 to 90 minutes and were primarily conducted online. The study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines and has been reported to the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (SIKT). The interviewees was given an information letter and gave their consent to participate in the study. Answers from the interviews were coded into Bronfenbrenner´s three characteristics of personal traits, demand, resource and force characteristics. Our results revealed that teaching quality as a practice is a relational matter that finds its basis in the individual's motives, personal commitment and is expressed in his or her actions in interaction with the environment. Similarly, it is a reminder that everyone carries a degree of situated bias into their work, and that an awareness of these can better prepare the individual and the community for when and how this acts as a resource or barrier in the work on teaching quality as a practice. Our results also indicated that Bronfenbrenner´s three characteristics of personal traits were important for development related to social interaction. Demand characteristics, which are the type of attributes that are immediately visible and hence trigger an initial immediate response, was present and important. Furthermore, resource characteristics, those involving mental and emotional resources such as intelligence, skills and experience, as well as material ones, was present and important. In addition, force characteristics linked to motivation, perseverance and temperament was found to be important in our analyses of the interviews. A conclusion can be drawn that the person element of the PPCT model was a contributing factor that could explain the experienced changes in teaching quality during the corona crisis.

Keywords:

teaching quality, practice, person, characteristics, Bronfenbrenner, PPCT model.