Being Fair & Equitable: A Qualitative Study of Science Teachers’ Shifts in Priorities and Expectations During COVID-19

Abstract

This study examines how secondary science teachers described the shift in their priorities and expectations to be more equitable towards their affected students during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. Ten teachers were recruited via a purposeful convenient sampling from diverse socioeconomic status (SES) schools and interviewed through Zoom. Findings indicate SES-based differences in teachers’ perception of the impact of COVID-19 on students, and their approach to fairness and equity through subsequent shifts in priorities and expectations.