Online Teaching During COVID-19: A Tale of Two Cities

This study reports on a collaborative research project initiated in 2022 by the authors based in Hong Kong and the Philippines. The overarching goal is to review and assess the impact that the prolonged use of technology for teaching has had on K–12 teachers. Through a narrative inquiry, the study seeks to encapsulate teachers’ online teaching experiences: its efficacy, challenges, impacts on teaching, and other relevant issues. These narratives are compared against the backdrop of access to technology in Hong Kong and in the Philippines, as there are immense differences in IT infrastructure. It was found that technological advancement and preparedness did not guarantee smooth delivery of online teaching. In contrast, teachers’ own personal circumstances, workload, stress, and mental wellbeing tend to have a much greater impact on themselves and their work.