How Higher Education Faculty in Egypt Perceive the Effects of Covid-19 on Teaching Journalism and Mass Communication: Perspectives From the Global South

• Published in: Journalism & mass communication educator Vol. 76; no. 4; pp. 394 - 411
• Main Authors: Badr, Hanan, Elmaghraby, Sara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-12-2021; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Barriers; College Faculty; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Distance learning; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Journalism; Journalism schools; Mass Media; Online Courses; Online instruction; Pandemics; Perceptions; School Closing; Teacher Attitudes; Technological Literacy; Technology Uses in Education; University faculty; Egypt; online education; journalism and mass communication education; in-depth interviews; survey; teaching; communication; diffusion of innovation; faculty
• ISSN: 1077-6958; 2161-4326
• DOI: 10.1177/10776958211025199

The article critically examines how faculty in journalism and mass communication perceive the Covid-19 impact on higher education in Egypt. Using an online survey (N = 135) and 14 in-depth interviews in spring–summer 2020, the article contextualizes the faculty’s ambivalent perceptions within the diffusion of innovation theory. The article bridges a gap in the existing literature by localizing this disrupted delivery in relation to the broader challenges and opportunities for diffusion of digital innovations in higher education. The results nuance the debate on digital education beyond a techno-determinist focus on digital skills to encompass societal awareness of regional and culture-specific digital inequalities.