To what extent can social learning theory explain the way teachers learn in an age of online teaching and learning?

Claudette Bailey-Morrissey, Careers Leader, Careers Development Institute, UK This article explores the experiences of three teachers who embraced online teaching in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required that teaching and learning took place online during periods of school closures and lockdown between 2020 and 2021. It illuminates how they developed their practice and ensured that students received effective teaching and learning. The context Teachers’ professional learning is of increasing interest as one way to support the increasingly complex skills that students need to learn in preparation for further education and work in the 21st century (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). Moreover, sophisticated forms of teaching are needed to develop student competencies such as deep mastery of challenging content, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, effective communication and collaboration, and self-direction (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017). According to Bandura (1971