Teachers’ experiences of distance education triggered by COVID-19 in Finland and Turkey- digital transformation in practice

Abstract

Distance education was typically selected teaching method as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic across the world. This article introduces the survey results on Finnish and Turkish teachers' experiences of distance education triggered by the pandemic. The research focused on clarifying how the pandemic has affected teachers’ digital skills, overall readiness for distance education as well as willingness to distance education in the future. A total of 137 teachers from various backgrounds participated in the online survey during 2021-2022 academic year. Comparative survey method was used in the study. Data were collected by using the online survey tool Webropol. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data and content analysis was used to analyze data and interpret results of open-ended questions which were collected via survey. The results pointed out that the pandemic promoted digital transformation in education as teachers' digital skills and readiness for distance education improved significantly during the first pandemic year both in Finland and in Turkey. The result is significant because digital transformation is seen as a driver and forerunner of sustainable development. This article provides valuable data of current practices, proposals to be considerate in arranging and developing distance education in future as well as ideas for further research in digital transformation in education.