Investigating Distance Education Experiences of Social Studies Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: A Phenomenological Analysis

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research is to investigate how social studies teachers were engaged in distance education and training activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employed phenomenology design under qualitative research methods. The participants were selected using criterion sampling under purposive sampling methods and included 15 social studies teachers (9 males and 6 females) working in Mamak and Sincan districts of Ankara in the 2021-2022 academic year. Data were gathered via a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher based on the relevant literature and expert opinions. The data were analyzed via content analysis. The results revealed that the technological problems had an important place among the experiences of the teachers and that the most important reason for students' inability to access distance education activities was their low socio-economic level.