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Rising to the Occasion--How Community College Faculty Adjust Instructional Approaches and Student Supports amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Title: Rising to the Occasion--How Community College Faculty Adjust Instructional Approaches and Student Supports amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Language: English
Authors: Xiwei Zhu (ORCID 0000-0003-4885-1843), Xueli Wang (ORCID 0009-0009-1747-9963)
Source: Community College Review. 2025 53(2):226-245.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
Contract Number: 1700625
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Descriptors: Community College Students, Community Colleges, College Faculty, Distance Education, Electronic Learning, COVID-19, Pandemics, Instructional Development, Teacher Student Relationship, Teaching Methods, Computer Assisted Instruction, Mathematics Instruction, Developmental Continuity, Teaching Styles, Sense of Community, Student Empowerment, Learner Engagement, Student Personnel Services, Faculty Development, Humanization, Crisis Management, Educational Change
DOI: 10.1177/00915521241300155
ISSN: 0091-5521
1940-2325
Abstract: Objective: This study explores how community college faculty adjust their instructional approaches and student supports amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This research drew on a basic qualitative approach to analyze 18 semi-structured interviews with faculty teaching math or math-heavy courses at two institutions. Results: Our findings add to the research literature on community college students' learning experiences, faculty teaching practices, and emergency remote teaching. Our analysis revealed five themes: (a) Community college faculty ensured and maintained continuity and minimized disruptions in student learning; (b) they humanized teaching and student support without centering their personal struggles; (c) they deepened community building to foster a sense of connection among students; (d) they empowered students in both mindset and practices to keep them engaged; and (e) they viewed the crisis as a learning opportunity to inform future instructional approaches and student services long after the pandemic. Contribution: Our study reveals a change model that captures the holistic and humanizing nature of faculty efforts to inform the future of teaching and learning in community colleges. In addition, our findings unveil some of the most critical components for faculty and institutions to consider when preparing for future crisis management and preparation.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1465745
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0183128887;ccr01apr.25;2025Feb21.02:10;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0183128887-1">Rising to the Occasion—How Community College Faculty Adjust Instructional Approaches and Student Supports Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic </title> <p>Objective: This study explores how community college faculty adjust their instructional approaches and student supports amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This research drew on a basic qualitative approach to analyze 18 semi-structured interviews with faculty teaching math or math-heavy courses at two institutions. Results: Our findings add to the research literature on community college students' learning experiences, faculty teaching practices, and emergency remote teaching. Our analysis revealed five themes: (a) Community college faculty ensured and maintained continuity and minimized disruptions in student learning; (b) they humanized teaching and student support without centering their personal struggles; (c) they deepened community building to foster a sense of connection among students; (d) they empowered students in both mindset and practices to keep them engaged; and (e) they viewed the crisis as a learning opportunity to inform future instructional approaches and student services long after the pandemic. Contribution: Our study reveals a change model that captures the holistic and humanizing nature of faculty efforts to inform the future of teaching and learning in community colleges. In addition, our findings unveil some of the most critical components for faculty and institutions to consider when preparing for future crisis management and preparation.</p> <p>Keywords: community college faculty; teaching and learning; change in higher education</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-2">Purpose of the Study</hd> <p>Over the past few years, postsecondary institutions have been significantly impacted by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to enrollment declines ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref1">24</reflink>]), a drastic shift in instructional modes ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref2">14</reflink>]), as well as challenges in providing timely and sufficient student and faculty support ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref3">23</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref4">52</reflink>]). One of the most prominent issues of concern that emerges from rapid change rests with teaching and learning ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref5">26</reflink>]). A large proportion of higher education institutions closed their physical campuses, and instruction and student services were rapidly shifted from an in-person format to a hybrid or fully online system ([<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref6">49</reflink>]). These disruptions have disparately impacted community colleges ([<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref7">47</reflink>]) that enroll a widely diverse population across all backgrounds, including but not limited to age, race, gender, nationality, and parental status ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref8">38</reflink>]). During the pandemic, community college students faced additional challenges such as financial instability, loss of employment or overload, worsening mental health, and lack of childcare for student parents ([<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref9">32</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref10">47</reflink>]). These intertwined barriers further complicate the teaching and learning process that was already disrupted by the pandemic.</p> <p>Historically under-resourced and underappreciated, community colleges are also remarkable "sites of agile adaptation and innovation, perpetually responsive to emerging societal needs" ([<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref11">53</reflink>], para. 1). Indeed, community colleges responded quickly to the crisis through adaptations such as providing free laptops, hotspots, food, personal protective equipment, etc. ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref12">10</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref13">44</reflink>]). Serving on the frontline and often as students' most immediate contacts ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref14">11</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref15">54</reflink>]), community college faculty are both challenged and best positioned to support their students amid crisis ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref16">29</reflink>]). With community college faculty taking on an already high workload prior to the pandemic ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref17">10</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref18">31</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref19">50</reflink>]), the abrupt disruptions further complicated faculty's responsibility to teach and support their students ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref20">52</reflink>]), as online teaching requires a disproportionate investment in preparation time and effort ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref21">36</reflink>]), especially for faculty who have never taught online before ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref22">10</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref23">20</reflink>]).</p> <p>While the media have been filled with reports on faculty adjustments and challenges associated with burnout, there is a lack of empirical literature that documents how community college faculty navigated the myriad challenges in striving to teach and support their students during these trying times. Therefore, we conducted this study to lend empirical insights into the approaches, experiences, and learnings as community college faculty adapt and adjust in maintaining instruction and student support amid the crisis. The findings from our research hold great importance and value in informing both community colleges and postsecondary institutions writ large to thoughtfully affirm and amplify promising practices, proactively plan for change in teaching and learning, and render care and support for faculty. More specifically, our qualitative inquiry is aimed at answering the following research question: <emph>How do community college faculty adjust instructional approaches and student supports amid the COVID-19 pandemic?</emph></p> <hd id="AN0183128887-3">Relevant Literature</hd> <p>Given the sudden nature and recency of the pandemic, the literature directly related to our research is still emerging. Nonetheless, three informative literature threads broadly situate our inquiry.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-4">Challenges Facing Community College Students Amid the Pandemic and Institutional Responses</hd> <p>Historically, community college students grapple with balancing coursework, advising needs, work schedules, and family commitments ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref24">9</reflink>]). These challenges were heightened during the pandemic ([<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref25">7</reflink>]), as the kinds of instructional and institutional support students needed were complicated by the crisis that introduced unique challenges due to the closure of the physical campuses. For instance, many students needed help with access to stable internet and technical devices to participate in virtual learning ([<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref26">41</reflink>]). It was especially problematic for students who do not have secure living places ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref27">10</reflink>]), such as homeless students, as they may primarily depend on on-campus resources to finish coursework and access reliable wireless internet and shelter. Another challenge caused by the lockdown was a sense of isolation. During remote learning, a higher percentage of students lost motivation to learn ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref28">29</reflink>]), with many students feeling isolated in virtual learning environments ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref29">15</reflink>]).</p> <p>With a mission of providing education and services to students and community members ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref30">1</reflink>]), community colleges offered emergency funds, worked to ensure food security, loaned computers for students to participate in online classes, and set up hotspots in their parking lots to provide stable internet connection ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref31">10</reflink>]). Historically under-resourced and tasked with serving complex student needs and contexts, community colleges tend to be adaptable when dealing with the challenges of crisis and disruptions. Moreover, to better serve students beyond traditional working hours, community colleges also benefit from having long adopted a technology-based and flexible infrastructure ([<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref32">4</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref33">5</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref34">28</reflink>]), which helped them rapidly transfer most of their courses online amid the pandemic.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-5">Teaching and Faculty Practices in the Community College</hd> <p>There is a large body of literature on teaching and faculty practices in the community college. Given the commuting nature of these institutions, the classroom takes center stage in students' experiences, and faculty are often students' primary contacts ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref35">16</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref36">54</reflink>]). Community college faculty are critically important in increasing opportunities for student success ([<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref37">16</reflink>]) and often engage in active learning approaches that emphasize the application of real-life contexts to situate student learning ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref38">34</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref39">55</reflink>]).</p> <p>Community college faculty are also shown to be more apt to change and innovate ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref40">6</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref41">28</reflink>]). During the recent crisis, community college faculty were found to interact with students more inclusively through various forms of informal communication, such as increasing engagement using virtual office hours and providing audio feedback to improve communication with students ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref42">29</reflink>]). This could also lead to higher educational gains ([<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref43">51</reflink>]), intent to persist ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref44">2</reflink>]), and greater likelihood of achieving upward transfer ([<reflink idref="bib54" id="ref45">54</reflink>]).</p> <p>There is evidence that professional development can improve teaching, resulting in greater student achievement ([<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref46">40</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref47">45</reflink>]). However, community colleges heavily rely on part-time and adjunct faculty for course instruction. Around 65% of community college faculty are employed part-time ([<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref48">39</reflink>]), and they may not have sufficient pedagogical training, especially in online or hybrid modalities ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref49">10</reflink>]). Thus, community college faculty, both full-time and part-time, have long called for more institutional support and professional development opportunities ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref50">17</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref51">37</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-6">Emergency Remote Teaching</hd> <p>The COVID-19 pandemic, as a global crisis, forced organizations across the board to suddenly pause, stop, or transition their approaches to produce work ([<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref52">21</reflink>]). Higher education institutions also experienced immediate instructional and service transitions from a traditional in-person mode to a hybrid or online mode without sufficient technological planning ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref53">3</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref54">30</reflink>]). Therefore, emergency remote teaching (ERT), "a temporary shift of instructional delivery to an alternate delivery mode due to crisis circumstances," appeared to dominate postsecondary courses amid the pandemic ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref55">20</reflink>], para. 13).</p> <p>ERT depicts the pandemic-induced instructional change more accurately than online teaching by design. ERT requires faculty to solve the problem creatively with little preparation time ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref56">17</reflink>]). Distinct from traditional online courses, which may take months to plan and design by instructors who teach online and usually have extensive training in online pedagogy ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref57">20</reflink>]), ERT reflects a sudden and unplanned shift of instructional approach to synchronous or asynchronous classes through online learning platforms. Another notable difference is that for traditional online courses, students self-select into online learning; in other words, regardless of their reasons and motivations, students pursue this modality by choice. However, ERT not only pushed faculty to complete drastic shifts during a limited period of time, but it forced students to switch to online learning that they did not sign up for ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref58">20</reflink>]). As mentioned above, students are more likely to feel isolated and lose the motivation to learn in remote environments. Thus, faculty in the ERT mode are charged with the extra responsibility to keep students connected and supported as they engage in this unexpected shift of modality ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref59">15</reflink>]).</p> <p>Community college leadership responded quickly to prepare technology tools and train faculty in distance education delivery ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref60">10</reflink>]). Because faculty were shifting to remote instruction rapidly with minimal training and rely mostly on self-teaching to become familiar with online pedagogy and technology ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref61">10</reflink>]), technical support teams have become significant lifelines during the pandemic. However, technical support teams could not always offer the same level of support to faculty in a timely manner ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref62">20</reflink>]) because almost the whole college depended on them to sustain instruction and related technological support. Therefore, ERT, to some extent, reflected an institution's readiness to support faculty during this transition.</p> <p>In sum, the challenges associated with ERT span technological, pedagogical, and social domains ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref63">13</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref64">22</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref65">42</reflink>]). At the same time, emerging evidence also highlights ERT as an opportunity to rethink the future of higher education ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref66">10</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref67">19</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref68">35</reflink>]). By diving into faculty experiences adjusting to ERT, our study is positioned to reveal a holistic set of insights and approaches that help shape the future of teaching and learning in the community college, now and long after the pandemic.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-7">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0183128887-8">Study Context and Research Sites</hd> <p>This study emerged from a five-year (2017-2022) longitudinal mixed methods research project funded by the National Science Foundation. The larger project is grounded within a partnership between community college faculty and university-based researchers. The project's larger focus is faculty sensemaking and engagement with professional development around active learning approaches, especially contextualized approaches to teaching math or math-heavy courses in career and technical education. The two research sites are large, comprehensive two-year colleges in a midwestern state. Prior to the pandemic, the research team had established a long-standing relationship with the participating community colleges and their faculty through multiple interviews, collaboration on faculty development activities, and cross-institutional meetings and events. As with practitioner-researcher partnerships, new research opportunities and questions arise in response to the emerging priorities of the partnership ([<reflink idref="bib56" id="ref69">56</reflink>]). Since the pandemic hit, how to maintain instruction and student support amid the crisis became a heightened priority that concerns both practice and research, which motivated the current study.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-9">Basic Qualitative Approach</hd> <p>We adopted [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref70">33</reflink>] basic qualitative approach to answer the research question. This method allowed us to "discover and understand a phenomenon, a process, or the perspectives and worldviews of the people involved" ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref71">33</reflink>], p. 11), which is aligned with our research question and focus. We recognize that, as researchers, our backgrounds and experiences shape what we see in the data and how we interpret them. As scholars invested in the study of community college students and faculty, we have certain assumptions based on our disciplinary knowledge when approaching this study. Notably, both authors are trained in the field of higher education study, with a research agenda dedicated to issues of equity in community colleges. This background means that we came into this study believing that the best types of approaches faculty adopt should have equity as a clear focus and guidance. At the same time, because the community college faculty in our research were largely trained in disciplines outside of our expertise, many with a long history of working in industry, their lens toward how to teach and support students, as well as their lens toward equity may be distinctly different from ours, richly contextualized within their own professional and educational backgrounds. While acknowledging the existence of our assumptions and biases, and keeping them in check, our prior knowledge and assumptions are also a strength, as they provide us with initial ideas about what to pursue and alert us to look for certain possibilities and processes in the data ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref72">8</reflink>]). As a result, our approach allows us to go beyond the surface level in pursuit of the meaning in the data when constructing a model about how faculty teach and support students during this turbulent time.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-10">Data Collection</hd> <p>During the summer of 2020, we reached out to 33 faculty members in our partnership to understand how they adapted and adjusted their instruction and support for students. The interview protocol included a series of open-ended questions touching upon various transitions and adjustments that faculty made during the spring semester of 2020, along with their teaching approaches and practices both in general and since the onset of COVID-19. Semi-structured in nature, the interviews allowed us the flexibility to ask follow-up questions to gain a more in-depth understanding of the topic while leaving space for faculty to reflect and bring up new topics when possible.</p> <p>To protect their identities, we invited participants to choose their pseudonyms. Due to safety and health guidelines at the time of data collection, we completed all the interviews via Zoom. Each interview was recorded with the participant's permission and transcribed verbatim by research team members. The interviews spanned summer to fall of 2020. A total of 18 faculty participated in the study. See Table 1 for participant details.</p> <p>Table 1. Description of Participants.</p> <p>Graph</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><colgroup><col align="left" /><col align="char" char="." /><col align="char" char="." /></colgroup><thead><tr><th align="left">Pseudonym</th><th align="center">Gender</th><th align="center">Instructional Area<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="tfn1">a</xref></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Aaron</td><td>Man</td><td>Industrial Welding Technology</td></tr><tr><td>Walter</td><td>Man</td><td>Machine Shop</td></tr><tr><td>William</td><td>Man</td><td>Industrial Welding Technology</td></tr><tr><td>Daniel</td><td>Man</td><td>Liberal Arts and Sciences</td></tr><tr><td>Marlene</td><td>Woman</td><td>Liberal Arts and Sciences</td></tr><tr><td>Hannah</td><td>Woman</td><td>Liberal Arts and Sciences</td></tr><tr><td>Beth</td><td>Woman</td><td>Liberal Arts and Sciences</td></tr><tr><td>Iris</td><td>Woman</td><td>Welding</td></tr><tr><td>Jeff</td><td>Man</td><td>Welding</td></tr><tr><td>Liz</td><td>Woman</td><td>Math Department</td></tr><tr><td>Brian</td><td>Man</td><td>Math Department</td></tr><tr><td>Robin</td><td>Woman</td><td>Math Department</td></tr><tr><td>Greg</td><td>Man</td><td>Architectural Technology</td></tr><tr><td>Carpenter</td><td>Man</td><td>Construction and Remodeling</td></tr><tr><td>Charley</td><td>Woman</td><td>Electrical Engineering Technology</td></tr><tr><td>Sandy</td><td>Woman</td><td>Developmental Math</td></tr><tr><td>Terry</td><td>Man</td><td>Electrical Engineering Technology</td></tr><tr><td>Anna</td><td>Woman</td><td>Electrical Engineering Technology</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 Interview participants taught math or math-oriented courses within the given larger instructional area or unit.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-11">Data Analysis</hd> <p>Aligned with basic qualitative research, we analyzed our data with an open approach throughout the process, by identifying preliminary categories and patterns and constantly comparing, categorizing, and refining them into evolving relationships and themes. Several rounds of coding supported this larger process. We began with inductive coding to ensure our openness to emerging theoretical directions grounded in the data ([<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref73">46</reflink>]), followed by axial coding ([<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref74">48</reflink>]) that helped us cross-analyze, identify connections, and synthesize across codes and categories to arrive at larger themes.</p> <p>Specifically, we first conducted a round of open coding to identify potential theoretical directions. In this step, we identified initial codes related to faculty adaptations of their instructional approaches and student supports during the pandemic. We also constantly compared new codes with all previous codes to identify emerging and recurring patterns in the data. During this iterative process, we revisited and refined previously assigned codes to reflect the new meanings that we were making while constantly returning to all previously coded segments for accuracy and alignment. As the codes became stable across all interview data, we performed axial coding that helped identify how codes related to one another by examining the codes and their underlying data, which allowed us to abstract codes into categories. We engaged in this process until we reached the point where additional interview transcripts did not add new meanings to our codes and categories. We then generated our core findings by connecting the codes and categories together around several larger core themes that captured the essence of the model that emerged from this study. Both researchers reflected individually and exchanged ideas about the meaning of each code, category, and theme to ensure consistency in our interpretation.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-12">Credibility and Trustworthiness</hd> <p>To ensure credibility and trustworthiness, we used the following approaches to minimize bias and enhance the quality of data collection, analysis, and interpretations of the findings. First, we constantly reflected on our roles as researchers from a four-year research university and approached our interview process with respect and care. The strong existing relationship with the faculty through the larger project partnership also contributed to trust and relationship building throughout the interview process. We also documented our thoughts and reflections throughout the data collection, analysis, and interpretation process, while we compared notes regularly to check our biases and assumptions. Further, we checked with participants during the interview, coding, and interpretation stages to ensure we interpreted the data as they did and asked clarifying questions when needed. Through these steps, we are confident in the emerging model that captures the gist of our participants' insights and experiences.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-13">Limitations</hd> <p>We should note a few limitations of this study. First, most of the faculty participants are instructors teaching in the math department or courses in career and technical education with a math focus. Therefore, our findings hold deep implications for this group of faculty teaching a vitally important subject area, but the transferability of the findings beyond these instructional areas may be limited to some extent. Second, when we conducted the interviews in 2020, some faculty were still in the thick of drastic instructional shifts and institutional reform. Their approaches may have evolved in major or small ways since that time, a longitudinal process that is not part of this study.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-14">Findings</hd> <p>Five themes emerged, forming a dynamic change model that depicts how faculty adjusted instructional approaches and student supports during the initial semester of the pandemic. The first theme provided a picture of the immediate action community college faculty took when the pandemic hit. The second theme unfolded community college faculty's struggles and their coping strategies. The third theme indicated how faculty came together as a community during a hard time. The fourth theme described how faculty empowered students to stay on track practically and mentally. Finally, the fifth theme demonstrated how the faculty viewed challenges as opportunities to reimagine future teaching and student support.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-15">Ensuring Swift Access to Learning and Teaching Essentials</hd> <p>Despite feelings of chaos and uncertainty, the first order of business among the faculty was to ensure students would have access to all the essentials to maintain continuity and minimize disruptions in their learning. All the faculty we interviewed immediately explored ways to proactively address access issues, rather than waiting to act based on institutional guidance. Walter, a machine shop instructor who used to require students to work with hard copies in the machine tooling course, was well aware of access issues and made rapid adjustments:</p> <p>To make life a little bit easier for some of the students, as opposed to giving them the traditional assignment. Because many students did not have much for computers or electronic devices, I ended up making the assignments like a quiz and put them in the Blackboard shell.</p> <p>This mentality transpired in a number of approaches faculty implemented almost in real-time, such as transferring all course content and assignments online, adopting simulation to replicate required hands-on experience for certain majors, and actively reaching out to institutions for support. Realizing the challenge for students to access their instructors in person, some participants pre-recorded mini-lectures. This approach also provided opportunities for students who benefit from learning through repetition. Liz, a math department faculty said:</p> <p>Like the fact that we recorded every class, that they could actually get more repetition, they could come to class and then watch the video too, to help it sink in. Or also, the fact that they had more flexibility, they could miss class but watch the recording. Students also talked about having more time to do their homework and how that actually helped them because they weren't commuting, and they didn't have all these other social distractions.</p> <p>Unlike the traditional distance classes, the pandemic-induced online learning often combined synchronous and asynchronous modes, and Liz said, "they [students] appreciated how we did the class live so that it was basically the same as it had been." Another math instructor, Daniel, also reinforced this point:</p> <p>It [the class] is asynchronous. And then we built a time, so if some students wanted it to be synchronous, they would know what time it would be recorded. So from 1:00 to 2:30, three days a week, I go on. And sometimes I have five people there, five or six. Today I had one. And I go through the discussion of what we're going to cover and the things that I wanted them to do on their own and check to see if they got their answers right, and then question time. And I record all that, and then that's what gets posted for them to view if they went for the asynchronous model of the class.</p> <p>By integrating live classes with the recorded videos posted online, community college faculty tried to accommodate all types of student needs with maximum flexibility and compassion. Also, a large portion of the faculty members mentioned that they wouldn't require their students to have their cameras on during the live classes. Although this makes group work more complicated for online teaching and learning, faculty were sensitive to students' distinct backgrounds by trying to adopt more inclusive approaches in their quick shift to ERT.</p> <p>It is also worth noting that some faculty proactively handed all paper materials to students before the lockdown or made sure that their students had a clear understanding of what was to come when attending class online, all of which ensured access among those students for whom remote learning was challenging. As Liz said:</p> <p>We were able to make a plan a lot faster than a lot of other people, and we heard from the students that they were really grateful that we told them right away. Basically, that Friday [before the lockdown], we went to class and demonstrated what we were gonna do when we went online. And then we sat down like basically rewrote our syllabus and sent that out the next week.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-16">Reflecting on Personal Struggles to Humanize Teaching and Student Support</hd> <p>Burnout felt real and hard among the faculty we interviewed. Teaching live became extremely difficult for some faculty due to the shutdown of childcare services and made it even harder to maintain a work-life balance. As Hannah, a math instructor from the liberal arts and sciences, said: "So, you were literally just trying to do everything in your power, put out fires all day long to just try to keep people afloat, keep your head, again, above the water, try and make it normal at the same time." One of the biggest struggles was coming out of the role of caretaker of all and being ready to provide education and services to students. Robin, a math teacher, shared:</p> <p>And so that was really hard for me. Just really worried about my students. I had students who just sort of disappeared for a couple of weeks, and then came back. Like they were helping their aunt that was sick. And it's just like with the burden that we're putting on them because school pretends that life doesn't exist, and this whole thing just proves how stupid that is. And so, I'm not happy with any of it and that's been very hard to manage. I don't really feel like I put my best self out there in a virtual space, either. I feel like I'm not as good at anything that I do, you know. And so, I constantly wish things could be better, different.</p> <p>As the pandemic exacerbated long-existing inequities among students, faculty are often among the first to witness students' struggles, but they are also the ones with limited power to move the necessary levers to help students, which leads to emotional burnout.</p> <p>At the same time, our participants did not approach burnout as an issue that centered themselves. Rather, their reflections on personal struggles served as a powerful motivation for them to renew their commitment to supporting their students, often with new philosophies or practices infused with more humanizing approaches. As Robin further illustrated:</p> <p>I definitely walked into the spring semester willing to flex more for the needs of my students and trying to be more aware of the needs of my students.... I'm definitely thinking hard in my teaching philosophy about how much what I do is jumping through hoops for students, there are hoops that need to be jumped through. If I'm supposed to be teaching this content, I have to make sure I do my job of helping the students learn the content.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-17">Replicating and Deepening Community to Stay Connected</hd> <p>Aligned with the reflective shift in faculty mentality, a common adjustment faculty made was to not only replicate but also deepen community during times of crisis. Many faculty members intentionally held regular virtual office hours to address students' questions and foster a sense of connection. Terry, an electrical engineering technology instructor, told us office hours provided a channel for him to check in with students:</p> <p>The whole having the office hours kind of free format wasn't really any rigid thing they had to do. "Hey, what's bothering you?" So this whole idea of even bad news is good news. If you don't say anything, that's a problem. If you have something good happen? Great, I want to hear about it. If something you're having a problem with something? Great, I want to hear about it. So I think that was good because it got people to talk.</p> <p>Some gave out their personal phone numbers to students, and some called their students to check on them. As Hannah described, "In order for students to get through the semester, it literally took phone calls and constant phone calls to my students to check in on them. 'What's going on personally with you and how do we get you from here to finish the course,' and also managing your crisis of life because everybody had one at that time." Another math faculty member, Sandy, also called every student to complement her email communication when the lockdown happened. Students were more likely to answer a phone call, and Sandy tried to ensure every student was fully informed about the next steps. Text messages also became an efficient way to address students' questions about coursework, and when the question was too complicated to address via text message, they would meet in Blackboard to address students' needs.</p> <p>Community building was also reflected in collaboration with other faculty members. Instructors used text messages and virtual meetings to share reflections and challenges around supporting students and offer each other useful tips and support. A complicated finding is the faculty's overall concern regarding both the challenge and importance of community building in an online environment. Many expressed that it was harder to build connections with students if they started online without any previous in-person interactions. To deal with this, some faculty members scheduled one-on-one meetings with every student to establish faculty-student relationships in the remote environment.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-18">Empowering Students in Both Mindset and Practice</hd> <p>Echoing the existing literature, our participants also noticed that some students were quick to lose their motivation to learn when they were isolated. Daniel shared:</p> <p>And then just the motivation, students have been very open and honest and sent me emails like I got one just yesterday from a student that said: "Yes, I mean I've lost my motivation to do things." So, he apologized for not turning work in on time.</p> <p>Based on this observation, faculty practiced their compassion and learned to be even more flexible, as further explained by Daniel:</p> <p>We've been asked to be flexible. I think I've always been somewhat flexible. But in these times, we've been asked to be a little more flexible with students because of mental health issues and just the drive and the desire. And you're alone now, sitting at home, and you don't always think to get out your homework and do it, whereas if you have to come to school and sit in class, then maybe you do it.</p> <p>As this reflective process unfolded, faculty came up with a variety of strategies to keep their students engaged. Instructors shared that, as the students did not sign up for online learning, many questioned both the benefit of this modality and their own ability to succeed in an online setting. To alleviate this concern, faculty first worked to help students shift their mindset toward a more positive one by reassuring them over and again that they could do it. Faculty further highlighted for students the importance of the content within their larger education and career goals, and responded to students' frustrations with sheer patience and understanding. Walter said:</p> <p>I want them coming in with the mindset, "Okay, this is something you're going to want to learn." I want the students to come in with a fresh perspective. Don't worry about what happened in the past—let's move forward. Let's try and resolve what you need to resolve here, so you can be successful moving forward.</p> <p>Faculty efforts toward this positive mindset shift were further bolstered by strategies they implemented to incentivize or engage students, such as extra credit for online group work, simulations that vividly mimic the workplace, flipped classroom, other active learning techniques, and previewing final exams to ease students' anxiety. Other than cheering students up on the academic side, the faculty also used humor to empower students. Jeff, a welding instructor, told us what he did when they were allowed to do some in-person labs:</p> <p>For instance, like when I clean up at the end of the day, I play Barney's song 'Clean up, everybody clean up,' you know, they're adults, but they love that when you mess around, and you can interject with some [humor]. So that's kind of what we're doing with this is just, you know, not making it sad but making it glad! And going on and trying to do our best. And it's working out so far.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-19">Reimagining Future Teaching and Student Support</hd> <p>Despite the influx of various challenges, as the faculty reflected on this experience, they viewed it as a precipitating time that pushed their professional growth as teachers. Some were amazed by the amount of new and effective approaches they were able to pull off. Jeff showed his enthusiasm:</p> <p>I was so happy with all the things that I came up with today. I was utilizing this Blackboard Collaborate way more than I probably should have...I was just showing students all the tools we had. And they were laughing, and we were building some excitement about the things that we were doing.</p> <p>Others realized this time was an optimal opportunity for them to try things that they'd long wanted to implement. Aaron, an industrial welding technology faculty, actually appreciated the four-week preparation time and viewed it as an opportunity to organize his thoughts on the things he already had and experiment with classes from time to time. It turned out some approaches went great, and he was going to keep them in future teaching. Hannah also shared that although COVID made it hard to have purposeful conversations and stick to their original instruction plans, many other meaningful teaching moments happened, which invited deeper reflections. Not losing their expectations of high quality, an increasing number of faculty learned to be more thoughtful about students' circumstances and more aware that many of their students cannot fully participate in education due to challenging life contexts.</p> <p>In addition, some faculty also felt the pandemic-imposed shutdown, pause, and restart was an opportunity for institutions to have an even deeper understanding of distinct student situations and offer necessary assistance. Daniel shared his thoughts and observations:</p> <p>And it goes back to the internet, we were amazed how many of our students before COVID that took our online classes actually came to campus to use computers and internet. We just always thought as a school that if a student was taking a class online, they must have had internet at home, and they must have had a computer. But I guess they did surveys, and they were amazed at the percentage of students that actually relied on coming to school to do that. And so, they actually set up some things where students could come to the parking lots of the campus to get Wi-Fi, so they could get on their computers and actually have access to the classes.</p> <p>When thinking about future teaching and student support, faculty called for more on-point training and support. A construction and remodeling faculty member, Carpenter, expressed his needs when being asked what additional assistance or resources he needed to make changes or improvements:</p> <p>Training, just-in-time training, right training at the right time. So, instead of spending an hour and a half struggling with the Camtasia video, all I need to do is to click here and do this....So, the right kind of training in the right place would save us a ton of time. And in some cases, we may not even be aware we need the training.</p> <p>Although Carpenter's college had already hired additional technology staff and was responsive to faculty's requests, instructors were still learning new things unsystematically and experienced multiple learning curves. While COVID-19 presented several negative impacts, there were many learning opportunities and reflections that informed the future of community college instruction long after the pandemic, including those meaningful learning moments shared by our participants to carry toward future development.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-20">Discussion and Implications</hd> <p>This study delved into how community college faculty adjusted their instructional approaches and student supports amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings illuminate some of the innovative and humanizing approaches that faculty adopted before and during the initial phase of the pandemic. For example, by empowering students in both mindset and practice, faculty helped students to turn challenges into challenging opportunities, allowing students to persist through difficult times. To further deepen our findings, we visualized the five themes in the diagram to show their interlocking connections, which ultimately lead to better teaching and student support. See Figure 1.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. Faculty adjustments to teaching and student supports during the pandemic.</p> <p>Our findings reveal faculty's high level of openness and adaptability to abrupt change ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref75">6</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref76">28</reflink>]). All of our participants took immediate action when they heard about the closure of the physical campuses; some of them had predicted the lockdown and prepared students ahead of time. They integrated synchronous and asynchronous modalities and expanded students' accessibility to the materials. They were sensitive to their students' fast-evolving life circumstances and constantly adjusted their approaches based on feedback and reflection. The numerous rapid transitions reflect community college faculty's long-standing engagement in active learning approaches and capacity to innovate based on students' needs ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref77">34</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib55" id="ref78">55</reflink>]).</p> <p>The participants we interviewed had little or no complaints about the extra work that they took on. Although many of the faculty we interviewed struggled to cope with layers of challenges and difficulties, they chose to center students' needs, humanized their teaching approaches, and kept their students connected. The multiple strategies our participants adopted to stay connected with students represent those that work effectively for students who may lose motivation to learn due to a sense of isolation caused by the pandemic ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref79">15</reflink>]), such as making clear the connection between content and students' career and education goals, incentivizing student participation, and engaging humor. All this aside though, burnout among community college faculty is real and alarming ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref80">52</reflink>]). Among our participants, centering support to help students overcome challenges imposed by the pandemic is also plausibly the major reason that led to emotional burnout. While our participants did not focus on their personal struggles, some did share that it was challenging to maintain a work-life balance, in some cases further complicated by the lack of institutional support. Therefore, it is important to address burnout through tangible institutional support mechanisms to retain and sustain faculty as vital assets for community colleges.</p> <p>The final highlight of the findings is how community college faculty optimistically viewed the abrupt challenges and pushed themselves for further development through reflection and collaboration with other colleagues. Community college faculty are always exploring new approaches and technologies to make their courses better ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref81">6</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref82">28</reflink>]). Thus, when there is an opportunity for them to make changes to their courses, they will not let the opportunity slip away. Although community college faculty are flexible and practiced compassion for students long before, the COVID-19 pandemic further deepened their reflections on meeting students where they are and helping them get to where they need to be.</p> <p>Our findings reveal several areas where institutions can further improve to support faculty teaching and student learning in the future. First, aligned with [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref83">20</reflink>], due to ERT's urgency, faculty in our study took on more responsibility for course development and implementation, but only some were well equipped with the skills to design and teach online courses, along with where and how to seek help ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref84">17</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref85">25</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib57" id="ref86">57</reflink>]). When support services for course development and implementation are not in place or made systematic, it is hard for faculty to plan ahead. Thus, faculty development and support teams should not only have a contingency plan to meet faculty needs for a smooth transition during unexpected times, but also develop a strategic plan to equip faculty with the necessary skills or awareness of relevant resources and support services. This requires institutions to revisit and redesign their faculty development and support units, especially concerning how to deal with unpredictable crises ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref87">12</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref88">20</reflink>]). In addition, to complement faculty support and development opportunities, institutions should place sufficient trust in their faculty rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all model to constrain them with superficial instructional changes. Rather, institutions should have support in place and always be ready to offer the flexibility that faculty and students need.</p> <p>In addition, it is equally if not more important for institutions to offer mental and emotional support for faculty, especially during challenging times ([<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref89">43</reflink>]). Community college faculty take on multiple roles as teachers, mentors, counselors, coaches, and the list may be even longer if they are the only point of contact from the college for some students. Our findings show that as faculty continue to support students, they experience overload and emotional burnout, thus in serious need of timely mental and emotional support from their institution ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref90">18</reflink>]). Amid the pandemic, more light was shed on students (e.g., [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref91">27</reflink>]; [<reflink idref="bib58" id="ref92">58</reflink>]) and rightfully so, but faculty should not be overlooked. Participants in our study talked about technical support and student services offered by the institution. Yet, they seldom described any emotional and mental support they received from the college. Many mentioned that leaders of their departments or programs were responsive and supportive, but not necessarily their institutions as a whole. Faculty bonded with one another during the pandemic to offer mutual support, but the community needs to go wider at the college level. Institutions should take on more responsibility to support faculty as one of their most important assets with more caring mental health services and venues guided by focus groups or surveys to gather faculty's authentic input. In doing so, colleges can avoid placing extra burden on faculty, especially during crises, and establish the needed services and support for faculty and students alike.</p> <hd id="AN0183128887-21">Conclusion</hd> <p>This study highlights the extraordinary feat that community college faculty were able to realize in serving their students amid one of the most challenging times in the history of higher education. The results shed light on community college faculty's timely and thoughtful instructional adaptations with limited preparation time. They not only persisted in their responsibility to impart knowledge but also motivated students to stay positive and productive during trying times. Further, our study highlights faculty members' optimistic and innovative mindset in dealing with crises and disruptions, turning every experience into a learning opportunity. The holistic and humanizing nature of their efforts offers rich food for thought for all postsecondary leaders, administrators, faculty, and staff members in making changes during constantly evolving times. In addition, although the faculty in our study were able to adjust and come up with effective ways to support students, this was largely accomplished by their overall commitment to students and their long history of proactivity and agility. This disruption also reveals gaps in faculty support and development, especially with regard to crisis management and preparation. In this sense, our findings unveil some of the most critical components for faculty and institutions to consider when preparing for future scenarios of unexpected disruptions.</p> <ref id="AN0183128887-22"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref30" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Ayers D. F. (2015). 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Psychiatry Research, 288, 113003.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0183128887-23"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibtext> The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was conducted as part of a larger research project supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. DUE- 1700625). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Xiwei Zhu</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>Graph</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4885-1843 Xueli Wang</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext>Graph https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1747-9963</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Xiwei Zhu and Xueli Wang</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Xiwei Zhu is an assistant professor in the College of Education, Kinesiology & Social Work at California State University, Stanislaus. She studies issues related to community colleges and their various stakeholders, with a particular focus on how faculty and those in student support roles engage in inclusive approaches.</p> <p>Xueli Wang is the Barbara and Glenn Thompson Endowed Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Often centering community and technical colleges, her research spans a range of topics, including students' success and mental health; transfer trajectories; faculty development; teaching and learning; and educational change and innovation.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref1"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref3"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib52" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref7"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib53" firstref="ref11"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib54" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib50" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref34"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib55" firstref="ref39"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib51" firstref="ref43"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref47"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref48"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref50"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref51"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref52"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref54"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl34" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref63"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl35" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref64"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl36" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref65"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl37" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl38" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref68"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl39" bibid="bib56" firstref="ref69"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl40" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref70"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl41" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref73"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl42" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref74"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl43" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref85"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl44" bibid="bib57" firstref="ref86"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl45" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref87"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl46" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref89"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl47" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref90"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl48" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref91"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl49" bibid="bib58" firstref="ref92"></nolink>
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  Data: Rising to the Occasion--How Community College Faculty Adjust Instructional Approaches and Student Supports amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
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  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xiwei+Zhu%22">Xiwei Zhu</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4885-1843">0000-0003-4885-1843</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xueli+Wang%22">Xueli Wang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1747-9963">0009-0009-1747-9963</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Community+College+Review%22"><i>Community College Review</i></searchLink>. 2025 53(2):226-245.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 20
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
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  Label: Sponsoring Agency
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  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
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  Data: 1700625
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Two+Year+Colleges%22">Two Year Colleges</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+College+Students%22">Community College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Colleges%22">Community Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Faculty%22">College Faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+Learning%22">Electronic Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Development%22">Instructional Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Assisted+Instruction%22">Computer Assisted Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Instruction%22">Mathematics Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developmental+Continuity%22">Developmental Continuity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Styles%22">Teaching Styles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sense+of+Community%22">Sense of Community</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Empowerment%22">Student Empowerment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learner+Engagement%22">Learner Engagement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Personnel+Services%22">Student Personnel Services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Humanization%22">Humanization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Crisis+Management%22">Crisis Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/00915521241300155
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0091-5521<br />1940-2325
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: This study explores how community college faculty adjust their instructional approaches and student supports amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This research drew on a basic qualitative approach to analyze 18 semi-structured interviews with faculty teaching math or math-heavy courses at two institutions. Results: Our findings add to the research literature on community college students' learning experiences, faculty teaching practices, and emergency remote teaching. Our analysis revealed five themes: (a) Community college faculty ensured and maintained continuity and minimized disruptions in student learning; (b) they humanized teaching and student support without centering their personal struggles; (c) they deepened community building to foster a sense of connection among students; (d) they empowered students in both mindset and practices to keep them engaged; and (e) they viewed the crisis as a learning opportunity to inform future instructional approaches and student services long after the pandemic. Contribution: Our study reveals a change model that captures the holistic and humanizing nature of faculty efforts to inform the future of teaching and learning in community colleges. In addition, our findings unveil some of the most critical components for faculty and institutions to consider when preparing for future crisis management and preparation.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1465745
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        Value: 10.1177/00915521241300155
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 226
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Community College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community Colleges
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      – SubjectFull: College Faculty
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