Multi-level Emergency Remote Teaching Framework for K–12 Distance Education: A Stakeholder-based Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study develops a multi-level Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) framework for K–12 distance education, grounded in the experiences of students, teachers, parents, and administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior ERT research has predominantly focused on single stakeholder groups or produced descriptive findings without synthesizing perspectives into a structured response model. Using a qualitative case study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 100 participants (25 per stakeholder group) selected through maximum variation sampling. Thematic content analysis was employed to identify convergent and divergent priorities across groups, which were subsequently mapped onto the five layers of the Holistic Analytical Layer Framework (HALF): policy, system, program, course, and activity, based on their functional relevance to each layer. Findings indicate that digital infrastructure functions as a foundational system-level prerequisite shared across all stakeholder groups, while pedagogical, psychosocial, and governance priorities diverge by role. Teachers emphasized assessment reliability and instructional continuity; students highlighted engagement and psychosocial support; parents stressed communication and guidance mechanisms; while administrators prioritized governance flexibility and decision-making autonomy. The resulting framework positions ERT not as an isolated emergency improvisation but as a coordinated, multi-layered response architecture that aligns stakeholder expectations across interconnected educational layers and supports the coordination of policy, infrastructure, programmatic planning, and instructional practices during crisis periods. The study contributes to the distance education literature by transforming multi-stakeholder perspectives into an integrated framework and extending the application of HALF to emergency education contexts. For e-learning practice, the framework offers school administrators and policymakers a concrete diagnostic tool for auditing crisis-preparedness across governance, infrastructure, and instructional layers, while offering teacher educators a basis for designing professional development that addresses both technical and psychosocial readiness for remote instruction. Given its single-region, qualitative design, the framework should be understood as a context-sensitive foundation for future empirical validation rather than a universally transferable model.