Abstract
Background The current coronavirus pandemic has caused a sudden shift in how teaching, learning and research activities are conducted, forcing schools and higher education institutions to embrace online learning. This study explores how Nigerian colleges of education lecturers responded to the COVID-19 school lockdown and developed coping strategies for managing educational activities during the pandemic. Purpose This paper aimed to examine lecturers' perceptions of the management of teaching, learning and research activities during the COVID-19 school lockdown. Methods Data was collected through a one-on-one interview with six lecturers from a college of education in Lagos State, Nigeria. Findings Results showed that lecturers encouraged students to engage in self-directed learning because they had easy access to uploading learning materials on WhatsApp groups and the colleges' e-learning platform. However, quality teaching and assessment on these platforms were not possible due to students' low attendance, time flexibility, irregular power supply, poor internet connection, high data subscription costs, and some students' lack of digital skills. Lecturers were particularly concerned about students' lack of interaction on these online platforms, resulting in a more passive teaching and learning process. Most lecturers could not engage in research activities except for one who collected data using questionnaires distributed via her colleagues' WhatsApp platforms. Conclusions The study provides insights into how problems facing higher education institutions can be addressed, such as providing free campus-based Wi-Fi, training lecturers and students on the use of various educational technology tools, upgrading the institution's e-learning platform for