University mathematics lecturers' experiences of teaching and learning during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative study between Kuwait and United Kingdom

Educators around the world were forced into a sudden change from face-to-face teaching to online teaching because of the COVID-19 crisis. This study aims to investigate how mathematics university lecturers in Kuwait (KW) and the United Kingdom (UK) experienced and responded to this unprecedented and sudden change. It explores the challenges and opportunities related to an online mode of working. Using the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge framework, this study analyses responses from a questionnaire (31 KW and 438 the UK respondents) which focused the time period encompassing Spring 2021 to Summer 2021, while the data collection period lasted from Spring 2021 to Spring 2022. Responses revealed the centrality and importance of content knowledge impacting their technological and pedagogical knowledge. Respondents seemed to report experiences which were common to both countries such as insufficient time to adjust to the sudden change, the challenges of adapting teaching strategies, lack of good computer skills, limited student interaction and motivation. Understandably, the rapid change meant that institutions may have focused on supporting staff in using the widely available institutional technologies instead of providing specific subject resources and support which seemed to exacerbate the challenges faced. Findings from the study show that lecturer's technological knowledge developed over the pandemic period but contextually and pedagogically, their values and beliefs were most influential resulting in the majority of respondents indicating that they were not likely to pursue an online mode of working post pandemic.