Enhancement Or Transformation: Teacher Perceptions Of Technology Integration During Pandemic-Driven

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the implementation of technology-enhanced flexible learning across higher education. While existing literature provides extensive accounts of emergency remote teaching, fewer studies examine how teachers conceptualized and perceived their own digital transformation during this period. This study explores teachers’ perceived levels of educational technology integration during the pandemic using the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model. The study also examines whether perceived transformation correlated with demographic profiles or competencies related to technology-enhanced flexible learning. A descriptive-evaluative design was employed using data gathered from an open online course involving 118 teachers from private higher education institutions in the Philippines. Results show that participants tended to classify their instructional adaptations within the Modification and Redefinition categories, indicating a perceived shift toward transformative practices rather than mere enhancement. However, statistical analyses found no significant relationships between SAMR levels and demographic profiles or competencies. These findings imply that contextual and situational pressures may have driven perceptions of transformation during the pandemic, rather than by pre-existing expertise or structural readiness. The study highlights the importance of understanding teacher perceptions as post-pandemic reforms move toward institutionalizing flexible learning and strengthening digital pedagogical capacity.