This study explores how teachers in Albania experienced and navigated the rapid transition to digital teaching during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular attention to digital preparedness, institutional support, and professional well-being. While the shift to online learning was a global phenomenon, its impact was especially challenging in contexts with limited prior integration of digital technologies. By examining the Albanian case, this research contributes to broader European discussions on digital transformation, equity, and teacher support in education.

Research Questions

The study is guided by the following main research question:

How did teachers in Albania adapt to emergency remote teaching, and what challenges and support mechanisms shaped their digital practices and well-being during this transition?

To address this question, the research investigates four interconnected sub-questions:

1. What levels of digital preparedness and prior experience with educational technologies did teachers have before the pandemic, and how did these influence their initial response to online teaching?

2. What pedagogical and technological strategies did teachers develop formally and informally to adapt their teaching practices and maintain student engagement in digital environments?

3. How did institutional support, including leadership guidance, training opportunities, and access to infrastructure, affect teachers’ capacity to cope with the transition?

4. How did the shift to online and blended teaching impact teachers’ professional and emotional well-being, particularly in resource-constrained and rural contexts?

Theoretical Framework

This research is informed by an integrated theoretical framework combining perspectives on digital competence, teacher well-being, and educational equity, which are widely used in European and international education research.

First, the study draws on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu). This framework conceptualizes digital competence as more than technical ability, emphasizing pedagogical application, professional engagement, and reflective practice. DigCompEdu provides a relevant European reference for examining how teachers develop digital skills in practice, particularly in systems where formal digital training was limited prior to the pandemic.

Second, the study is grounded in international research on teacher well-being, occupational stress, and professional resilience. This perspective views well-being as a multidimensional construct shaped by workload, institutional expectations, and emotional labor. During the pandemic, teachers across Europe experienced increased demands, blurred work-life boundaries, and heightened stress. This framework allows the study to analyze how digital transformation intersected with teachers’ emotional and professional experiences, rather than treating well-being as an individual issue alone.

Third, the research incorporates theories of educational equity and the digital divide, drawing on European Union and UNESCO literature. These perspectives highlight how socio-economic and geographic inequalities influence access to digital resources and learning opportunities. This lens is particularly relevant for understanding disparities between urban and rural contexts in Albania and for situating the findings within wider European concerns about inclusive digital education.

European and International Dimension

Although the empirical focus of this study is Albania, the issues it addresses resonate strongly with experiences across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many education systems faced similar challenges related to insufficient digital preparedness, uneven infrastructure, and limited attention to teacher well-being in emergency policy responses. By applying European frameworks and engaging with international literature, this research contributes to comparative understanding and cross-national learning.

As a new researcher study, this work offers context-sensitive insights into how teachers adapt to digital change under constrained conditions and highlights the importance of integrating professional development and well-being support into digital education policies. The findings are therefore relevant not only for Albania but also for other European education systems seeking to build more resilient, equitable, and teacher-centered approaches to digital transformation.

This study adopts a qualitative research design to explore teachers’ digital preparedness and professional adaptation during the transition to emergency remote teaching. A qualitative approach was selected in order to capture educators’ experiences, perceptions, and meaning-making processes within a specific institutional and national context. The research included teachers from primary, secondary, and vocational schools across urban and rural Albania. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, targeting mainly educators who were actively engaged in teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This ensured that all participants had direct experience with the rapid shift to online and hybrid instruction. In total, 35 educators participated in the study, representing varying levels of teaching experience and digital familiarity. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which allowed participants to reflect openly on their experiences while ensuring consistency across interviews. The interview protocol focused on three main areas: 1.Prior digital competence and training, 2.Challenges encountered during online teaching, and 3.Strategies adopted to develop digital skills and maintain teaching quality. Interviews were conducted mainly online and lasted approximately 30 minutes. Data were thematically coded, emphasizing the interplay between infrastructural challenges and psychosocial experiences. Findings were contextualized with national policy documents and digital training initiatives. Ethical principles were strictly observed throughout the research process. Participation was voluntary, informed consent was obtained, and anonymity was ensured through the use of pseudonyms. All data were stored securely and used exclusively for research purposes.

The study highlights how the rapid transition to online teaching in Albania exposed both systemic challenges and opportunities for teacher development. Findings indicate that most educators had limited prior experience with digital tools, relying heavily on WhatsApp, Facebook, and self-guided learning to maintain teaching continuity. Despite initial low confidence, teachers demonstrated remarkable adaptability, with peer networks and informal collaboration serving as critical support mechanisms. Teachers reported increased workload, emotional strain, and blurred work-life boundaries, particularly in rural and resource-constrained contexts. Institutional support was often fragmented or minimal, with few schools providing structured digital training or recognition of teachers’ well-being. These experiences underscore the interconnected nature of digital competence, institutional support, and teacher well-being, confirming the importance of a holistic approach to professional development. From a European perspective, the findings can be interpreted through the DigCompEdu framework, highlighting gaps in pedagogical application, professional engagement, and continuous development. The study also illuminates equity issues, as rural students and teachers faced disproportionate barriers due to limited infrastructure, reinforcing the need for targeted policy interventions. Expected outcomes include a set of practical recommendations for improving Albania’s digital education system: Embedding digital competence in both pre-service and in-service teacher training. Expanding access to reliable infrastructure and technological resources. Providing structured support for teacher well-being and workload management. Formalizing peer networks and collaborative learning communities to enhance professional resilience. Ultimately, the research positions teacher empowerment as central to sustainable digital transformation. By integrating skill development, well-being, and equity considerations, Albania can strengthen its education system while contributing to European and international discussions on resilient, teacher-centered approaches to digital innovation. Lessons from this study are relevant not only for Albania but also for other countries navigating rapid digital transitions under resource constraints, offering transferable insights for policy and practice.

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