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Ironic Lessons and Contradictions in the Lingering Aftermaths and Impact of Covid-19 on Continuing Professional Development: Reflective Insights from Botswana
Abstract
Covid-19 affected the education sector to unprecedented proportions with impacts that continue in its aftermath. One of the significant impacts of the pandemic was the pressure exerted on higher education institutions to rethink their delivery processes. The shift included an introduction of Technology mediated delivery of programmes including professional development programmes. Using data from two (2) purposively sampled universities, University of Botswana (UB) and Botswana Open University (BOU) this paper presents reflections and insights about this transition. These are used to demonstrate the stifling effects of the Pandemic on University based continuing Professional development as their lifelong Learning efforts. This noted, a critical reflection is presented on the tendency to overlook how the pandemic can ironically be perceived as having been a positive push factor for innovative change. The paper frames discussions on the fundamental tenets of theories of social change. and teases out pertinent issues on how Covid-19 propelled positive change in these contexts. This irony is presented as a rich platform for research about the pandemic which resembled a revolution in education. The survival strategies in the phase of Covid-19 are upheld. While experiences from the pandemic convincingly present it as an emergency, its impacts are noted to having fostered application of the principles of change. Lessons from these responses are presented as holding promise for sustainability of university professional development programmes, and to inform further research on change in these contexts so as to achieve better preparation for any change of the magnitude that came with Covid-19.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Sustaining Communities of Learning and Practice in Innovative Open Education
Paper ID: 4639
Subject
Country
Botswana
Region
Africa
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Adobe PDF, 437.97 KB
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Date
2025-09
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Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)