This bounded case study set out to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the educational practice of academics, using this moment as a new perspective to illuminate broader, enduring issues such as how will approaches to university education that have emerged in response to the pandemic lead to lasting changes? What is the likely impact of these changes on the dominant forms of university education that we will see in the future? Care theory and Pedagogy of Compassion provided the theoretical moorings of this paper. The meta-theoretical paradigm was social constructivism. The methodological paradigm was qualitative inquiry with a particular lens of looking for ‘goodness’ and portraying success and positivity. The research site was a large South African contact university. Participants comprised academics who taught a module to more than 1500 students. Data collection comprised a 3-4 page reflexive essay that was submitted to an online central repository. 19 participants positively responded to this invitation, but only 15 responses were submitted. Data were analysed utilising the content analysis method. Findings reveal a transition from panicgogy to the pedagogy of compassion. There appeared to be a shift to an interest in human suffering and social justice. An ethic of care and pedagogy of compassion seemed to foreground the practice of many academics, which moved education beyond the curriculum and educational strategies to cultivate social capital and equal life chances for all. These insights hold valuable implications for changes in the dominant forms of university education in the future.

Authors:
Saloshna Vandeyar, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Thirusilvan Vandeyar, University of Pretoria, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Saloshna Vandeyar is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at University of Pretoria in South Africa

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