Abstract
Orientation: Higher education institutions (HEIs) globally were required to transition from face-to-face to online learning to circumvent lockdowns, social distancing and other public health interventions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Research purpose: This study examined the experiences of developing country educators of higher education teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Motivation for the study: The study aims to understand the influence of the pandemic on the delivery of a quality programme to enable developing country HEIs to better withstand challenges arising from future social disruptions. Research approach/design and method: The study employs a qualitative methodology comprising semi-structured interviews with educators from HEIs situated in two African developing countries. Main findings: The findings of this study indicate that educators were able to transition to online offerings amid the pandemic and employ new tools, systems and innovative delivery methods, despite the lack of contingency plans. However, the digital divide was amplified for their student cohort because of the cost and reliability of the internet and the absence of suitable devices. This in turn resulted in educators often resorting to teacher-centric teaching practices. The findings also highlight that online assessments were compromised in terms of quality and integrity. Contribution/value-add: Far from being just a disruption, the pandemic is an indication of the urgent need to build sustainable HEIs for educators to deliver quality academic programmes to assume their intellectual responsibility toward society.