Confronting A Crisis: How Leadership Reacted During COVID-19 Pandemic -A Case Study of Two Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan, Dealing with The Challenges of Online Teaching and Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover how school heads of two low budget schools reacted during the COVID-19 crisis and how their thinking, practices, and approaches helped them in dealing with the challenges of sudden digital transition in teaching and learning. For this case study, two principals were purposefully chosen representing two private schools, having a low fee structure, and catering to similar kind of clientele. Moreover, the data was collected through interviews, observations, and documents’ review. The findings showed that the preparedness of the schools and leadership is very crucial in dealing with a crisis. During the COVID -19 crisis, technological preparedness and competence were essential. Additionally, leaders’ ability to respond and communicate well on time, intuition and foresightedness, experience and training, good governance, and above all, resilience and trust were some of the major qualities highlighted in the research findings for them to emerge as successful leaders during a crisis. The COVID-19 crisis urged the principals to prioritize their safety and well-being along with taking care of the well-being of other stakeholders of the school community. Also, the need for equity in teaching and assessment was also echoed by the two principals