STT KADESI’S disrupting the teaching and learning process during Covid-19

In this paper we report on a pilot study of the teaching and learning at Sekolah Tinggi Teologi KADESI (STTK), a tertiary theological institution in Yogyakarta, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Our methods for collecting data were to survey the 40 students and conduct one-to-one interviews with the 10 lecturers at STTK. The analysis of data drew on two theoretical constructs: Donald Schön’s reflection-in-action and the notion of empowerment in an educational context. We found challenges and difficulties to do with the logistics of teaching and the barriers to communication between instructors and students. And on the positive side, we identified signs of a more collegial relationship between lecturers and between teachers and students, plus greater awareness by both parties for the students’ pastoral and social needs in teaching and learning. Research contribution: The findings in this research provide the basis for further study on learning and teaching during disruption. They lay the foundation for a possible new pedagogy – combining new learning technologies within an egalitarian framework, to advance educational empowerment for all concerned.