Strategic crisis communication in facilitating effective teaching and learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the strategic role of crisis communication in facilitating effective teaching and learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic. There has been ample research on crisis in organisations, including institutions of higher learning. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique crisis that has not been experienced before. This prompted interest in understanding the strategic role of communication in dealing with a complex and unexpected health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the day-to-day operations of institutions of higher learning which made it a crisis. Institutions of higher learning were forced to move from the tradition face-to-face teaching and learning environment to the emergency remote teaching and learning. Although, studies have been conducted on teaching and learning during the pandemic, this study explored the strategic role of communication in the management of the crisis and facilitation of effective teaching and learning. Thestudy contributes largely to the research done on COVID-19 in higher education (HE) institutions from a communication perspective. It also contributes to crisis communication research from the global south context as many of the research on crisis is Western centric. This exploratory study using the North-West University, Mahikeng campus as a research context drew on Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) to explore the strategic role of crisis communication in facilitating effective teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employed a qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions as data collection methods. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a sample of 5 faculty management officials and four focus group discussions, amounting to a total of 37 final-year students interviewed. For the purpose of this study, the researcher used a deductive thematic analysis for both semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The researcher selected a deductive approach because of its efficiency in ensuring that relevant data is organised in answering the study's research questions. This approach allowed the researcher to use a top-down approach and to gain a deeper understanding on crisis response strategies for effective teaching and learning during a crisis. The findings outlined that connectivity, digital devices and the efficiency of using these technologies were the major challenges encountered during the implementation of the emergency remote teaching and learning. However, despite the challenges the study revealed that students appreciated the efforts made by the institution during the pandemic. Further, outlining that communication served a dual purpose. Firstly, to convey information pertaining to classroom instruction and secondly to provide details about the institution's support services. The findings indicates that conducive teaching and learning environment involved attending to students' psychological well-being to foster their active engagement and participation. Furthermore, the findings acclaimed that communication played a strategic role in facilitating effective teaching and learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the findings of the study, future research could explore how demographic variables such as gender, age and mental health can influence the experiences identified in the study. Additionally, future research could explore how the usage of multiple digital platforms can lead to missed instruction and inconsistent feedback resulting in communication breakdowns. Comparative studies between institutions using multiple platforms and those using unified platforms would provide insight into communication structures that best support and enhance communication coherence during a crisis.