Typology of orientations of primary school teachers towards virtual education during the coronavirus pandemic

The present study was conducted to investigate the typology of orientations of primary school teachers towards virtual education during the Coronavirus pandemic. To this end, the qualitative approach of descriptive phenomenology was used. The research population included all primary school teachers in Qeshm, of whom 31 teachers were selected as the sample by purposive and theoretical sampling. The research tool consisted of semi-structured interviews. The criterion for selecting the participants was having at least three years of teaching experience in the face-to-face education before the pandemic. Data was analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step coding. To validate the findings, two strategies of member check and peer debriefing were used. According to the findings, the types of orientations of primary school teachers towards virtual education were as follows: Avoidant-harmful, deficit-insufficient, contingency-realistic, and supportive-experimental. Findings showed that the factors of role image, educational context, and structural, and infrastructural barriers have played a significant role in the formation of this orientation.