The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education systems globally, prompting changes to science teachers' practices. This study investigated how high school science teachers in Lebanon changed their teaching practices during Emergency Remote Teaching, employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 173 science teachers across Lebanon’s seven governorates. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with nine teachers selected through convenience sampling. Participants met the following inclusion criteria: teaching grade 7-12 science in Lebanese private or public high schools; teaching online during the pandemic; and continuing to teach post-pandemic. The study employed the Theory of Practice Architectures (TPA) as an analytical lens, recognising that teaching practices are shaped by contextual arrangements rather than occurring in isolation. TPA provided a framework for examining shifts in teaching practices through organisational dimensions, known as arrangements. Thematic analysis of interview data, triangulated with questionnaire data, revealed changes in design and management, technology integration, flexibility, preparation time, and enhanced skills. These changes were shaped by enablers and constraints aligned with TPA arrangements. Cultural-discursive constraints centred on teacher resistance to change, with family ties as enablers. Material-economic constraints included infrastructure challenges, salary deflation, assessment difficulties, and resource limitations, while enablers involved knowledge sharing. Social-political constraints reflected broader systemic challenges, with coordination emerging as enabler. These findings contribute to understanding how science teachers navigate educational disruptions, whether due to health crises or instability. The study extends the literature by examining how TPA arrangements shaped teaching practices and can inform future crises-responsive education policies.

Authors:
Rayane Rajab, University of Wollongong, Australia
Helen Georgiou, University of Wollongong, Australia
Wendy Nielsen, University of Wollongong, Australia

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Rayane Rajab is a final-year PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She has held academic roles in universities across both Australia and Lebanon, and currently serves as a Research Specialist at the largest education-focused philanthropic organisation in the UAE. Her work focuses on education and development through knowledge generation, research and program design.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayane-rajab-483403134/

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