The role of virtual community of practice in alleviating social and professional isolation during emergency remote teaching

Abstract

Social Networking Sites have become ubiquitous in the classroom as educators continue to grapple with teaching remotely. Emergency remote teaching (ERT) continues to be the main staple in the virtual teaching menu. However, teachers are experiencing social and professional isolation. This qualitative intrinsic case study couched in the interpretivist paradigm determined that 37 Trinidadian teachers belonging to the teachers’ Facebook page – A Teacher’s Voice – were able to use the page as Virtual Community of Practices in order to motivate themselves and others. They share knowledge of online teaching and learning pedagogy, connect and collaborate with each other. They exchange insightful discussions, they share achievements, commiserate with each other and, above all, they share humour. In this manner, they are able to alleviate their social and professional feelings of isolation and form a kinship that transcends space and time reverberating a collective mindset.