Chapter 4: Learning Under Pressure: Leading Educational Change Through Technology Implementation During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to change the structure, mechanisms, and content of educating students, producing mixed success (Zhao & Watterston, 2021). Change can be a difficult process (Schein, 2010), especially against the backdrop of the global crisis (Weiner et al., 2021). These changes required teachers and administrators to pivot overnight, shifting practices, routines, and beliefs. For students, this process exacerbated already widening gaps in access, opportunity, and achievement (Lewis & Kuhfeld, 2023). Some school and district leaders saw this moment of upheaval as a moment to refocus on equity (Virella & Cobb, 2021), while others school culture (Weiner et al., 2021), socioemotional well-being (Harris, 2020), and better preparation (Trombly, 2020).