Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth a sudden shift to online teaching for educational institutions around the world. This study focuses on the teachers’ experience of the shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 restrictions at one Omani private school. A combination of teacher agency and the Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) framework were chosen to theorise this study. The study presents findings based on a qualitative case study design with the focus on one private school as the bounded system. The study’s results suggest that teachers initially struggled with the sudden shift to online teaching. Their lack of confidence with the use of newly introduced educational technologies influenced a lack in their sense of teacher agency. Results further displayed that as the teacher’s TPK increased through professional development and training, and by spending time to master the technological skills they needed to use the online platform and resources, their confidence and sense of agency increased. The study concludes that time, experience and ongoing training and professional development focused on growing teacher agency and their TPK would grow their capabilities to engage with further technological shifts in the future. It also concludes with recommendations for further research such as to compare the teachers’ experience at this Omani school with those of similar private Omani schools or public and private schools in Oman. Further research into wellness strategies of teachers at the Omani school would indicate how teacher agency can be further improved.