Socio-psychological problems of the transition of university teachers to distance employment during the Covid19 pandemic

Ural State University of Economics, 620144 Yekaterinburg, Russia

^* Corresponding author: myrabota2011@gmail.com

Abstract

The challenges of higher education that the world faced during the pandemic led to an emergency temporary transfer of faculty to a distance learning format. The article reveals the results of the analysis of socio-psychological problems that university teachers faced during the transition to remote employment. The work is based on a content analysis of previous studies of the issue, as well as data from a formalized online survey of faculty members of universities. The formalized survey was attended by 169 representatives of the teaching staff of universities in 10 cities of Russia. The article presents the main opportunities and disadvantages of remote employment and distance learning in higher education from the point of view of teachers. As a result of the study, the authors formulated the key opportunities and disadvantages of distance employment and identified the key social and psychological problems that require attention when organizing the activities of teachers. The labor market is changing, the requirements for the competencies of university professors are changing, it is necessary to systematically, strategically introduce changes by the administration when switching to a remote work format with a focus on the social and psychological well-being of employees.