University Teaching and Teleworking in Chile: Emerging Challenges

Abstract

This work is part of a research project that explores the dynamics between work and education, with a focus on the transformations of teaching work. Its main objective was to analyze the new teaching subjectivities that emerged in higher education as a result of teleworking. The study was framed in two key events that profoundly impacted the national university system: the social outbreak of October 2019 in Chile and the confinement due to the pandemic between March 2020 and August 2023, periods that transformed academic work.

A qualitative methodological approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with professors from three national universities, carried out between 2022 and 2023. This method made it possible to analyze individual and collective perceptions about teleworking and its implications in the teaching-learning process.

Among the findings identified, flexibility in time management and the development of digital skills stood out. However, limitations were also identified, such as increased workload, emotional exhaustion, problems in maintaining effective interaction with students, and technological inequalities that affected access and teacher performance.

Teleworking has transformed pedagogical and work dynamics, showing both benefits and challenges that need to be addressed. The results highlight the need for institutional policies that promote a balance between digital and face-to-face teaching, guaranteeing sustainable conditions for educational quality and teacher well-being in future scenarios of uncertainty.