The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Social networks had a key role in supporting the educational community in facing challenges and opportunities. A quantitative study was conducted to assess the Greek teachers’ perceptions of social network support. Findings indicated that teachers turned to universities, educational institutions, the Ministry of Education, school support groups, and virtual communities for support. Additionally, the study revealed the barriers faced by teachers, including infrastructure limitations, technical difficulties, skill deficiencies, problems with students’ engagement, and school policies. Teachers’ evaluation of support regarding ERT provided fruitful insight. The results illustrate teachers’ perspectives on ERT, contributing to the ongoing discourse on educational resilience to unpredictable disruptions. In conclusion, the role of social networks was considered as critical for the teachers to overcome barriers during ERT with the formation of social communities for support and the sharing of common experiences. Expertise in internet use and social networking played a significant role in readiness for the abrupt shift to distance education. The present study uniquely contributes to the educational field by emphasizing the role of teachers’ support as an innovative approach to holistically enhance teachers’ performance in ERT.

During the COVID-19 pandemic traditional teaching and learning methods were disrupted. Teachers were offered the option of remote teaching, either synchronously or asynchronously. A research study was conducted to capture the experiences of teachers in Greece during this transition, aiming to investigate their motivation for implementing Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) or not. Results indicated that teachers' motives were highly influenced by (i) the fear of administrative penalties, (ii) internal commitment to themselves and their students and (iii) pedagogical reasons. Furthermore, certain personal characteristics of teachers, such as gender, age, years of employment and employment status, were also vital factors for ERT implementation. However, technical difficulties, lack of infrastructure and lack of interest were the primary reasons for not implementing ERT at all. Findings of this study offer valuable suggestions for policy makers and researchers, as they provide insight of a significant sample of 1,120 teachers during a crisis.