Transformational leadership of teacher educators in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the education system globally, leading to a shift to distance learning. This study investigated how the change to distance learning during the pandemic affected the transformational leadership of teacher educators. Qualitative research involving semi-structured interviews with 25 teacher educators revealed key challenges they faced and the leadership behaviours they adopted. The study revealed several technological obstacles, emotional difficulties, and challenges for leadership such as engaging students, overcoming obstacles in communication, managing interpersonal and physical distance, and dealing with the blurring of professional boundaries. To cope with these problems, teacher educators exhibited transformational leadership behaviours. These included setting a clear new teaching vision, intellectually stimulating students, role modelling of teaching style, challenging students’ thinking and actions, and providing individualised support. The implications of the findings are discussed.