“F*** off with your yoga – how about reducing my workload to under 100%?”: Exploring the impact of online teaching on UK higher education academics during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic instigated an unprecedented impact on human life worldwide. One area subject to significant disruption was education, with the majority of teaching redirected to online platforms. Much attention was given to the impact of this on students’ learning, but less on the impact on those delivering such learning, particularly at higher education (HE) level. The current study addressed this by examining the impact of transitioning to online teaching on UK HE academics (lecturers and teaching staff) during the pandemic. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to one-to-one semi-structured interviews with twenty-two HE academics from across the UK. Key themes identified were Unachievable expectations, Contrasting support, and Toll on wellbeing. Findings suggested that unrealistic expectations and lack of support from institutions (though not colleagues) had a damaging effect on academics’ wellbeing. Barriers and challenges faced by HE academics to do their jobs during this period of uncertainty were also highlighted.