Accessing Online Instruction amidst COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Barriers and Coping Strategies (original) (raw)
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Online Instruction during COVID-19 at Public Universities in Bangladesh
TESL-EJ, 2021
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted face-to-face teaching globally, educational institutions in Bangladesh adopted online instruction as the best available alternative. Since teachers and students were not quite familiar with remote teaching, it was deemed necessary to gauge their level of preparedness for online instruction. This study investigated the perceptions of teachers and students of public universities, and examined their views of online pedagogy, assessment and the major challenges faced. Data were collected from 158 teachers and 1468 students through survey questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Results indicate that participants had favourable attitudes towards online classes, but they expressed concern for students who they thought were marginalized due to lack of digital devices and poor internet connectivity. Inadequate teacher preparation, lack of familiarity with online pedagogy, limited know-how of online assessment and issues of affordability and equity were reported to be the major threats. Initial insights highlight the need for supporting the disadvantaged students as well as training teachers to employ appropriate tools and techniques for teaching and assessing online.
Online Instruction during COVID-19 at Public Universities in Bangladesh: Teacher and Student Voices
Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal(TESL- EJ), 2021
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted face-to-face teaching globally, educational institutions in Bangladesh adopted online instruction as the best available alternative. Since teachers and students were not quite familiar with remote teaching, it was deemed necessary to gauge their level of preparedness for online instruction. This study investigated the perceptions of teachers and students of public universities, and examined their views of online pedagogy, assessment and the major challenges faced. Data were collected from 158 teachers and 1468 students through survey questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions. Results indicate that participants had favourable attitudes towards online classes, but they expressed concern for students who they thought were marginalized due to lack of digital devices and poor internet connectivity. Inadequate teacher preparation, lack of familiarity with online pedagogy, limited know-how of online assessment and issues of affordability and equity were reported to be the major threats. Initial insights highlight the need for supporting the disadvantaged students as well as training teachers to employ appropriate tools and techniques for teaching and assessing online.
Online Education during COVID-19 in Bangladesh: University Teachers’ Perspective
Aquademia
In Bangladesh like the other nations around the world educational sector is highly affected by COVID-19. During this lockdown teachers may help their students to minimize the educational gap. An online survey was conducted from 30 July to 24 September 2020 to collect the information from teacher of different public and private universities. Descriptive statistics was used to find their perceptions about online education, and problems faced related to e-learning. About 88.5% of the participants take online classes during the pandemic among them majority (91.3%) of them were staying at home and continue their online educational support to the students. They may face some problem during the online classes and poor internet connection (69.31%) and lack of logistic support (19.13%) were the main problem they faced. Very few (1.4%) of them think the process are not helping the students to overcome the educational gap. This study will helpful for government and the educational authority to find the overall scenario of online education during lockdown from teachers' point view.
Journal of Education and Practice
Online classes started in many secondary schools one month after the compulsory closure of all education institutions in Bangladesh. This study explores the current scenario as well as challenges of adaptation of online classes in secondary education in terms of teachers' experience. The study followed sequential exploratory mixed-method approach. Five secondary teachers were interviewed and 54 secondary teachers from 17 districts in Bangladesh were surveyed over telephone, Google forms and by email. The quantitative data was analyzed with Microsoft Excel and the thematic analysis approach had been followed for the qualitative one. The findings revealed that a good number of teachers have started teaching online by using social media platforms despite of not having any training or experience. Very few respondent teachers were found to take online examination; instead they are trying to assess the students from the feedback of given home works and home assignments. Teachers are facing numerous challenges like deficit of digital equipment, lack of expertise, unfamiliarity with the LMS, proficiency in assessment technique etc. The paper concludes with few recommendations such as providing proper devices to the teachers and students to participate in online class; facilitate rigorous training to enhance technology-based skills and capacities of the teachers so as to get the expected outcome.
Social Science Research Network, 2020
COVID-19 has posed a significant threat to the global education system. Rethinking alternative classes for continuous education is the major issue for coping with the new-normal system. In this regime of global lockdown of educational institutions, technologically advanced countries are equipped with all the tools required for online education, whereas developing countries are yet to implement online education in full-fledge. The study aims to seek the preparedness and practicality of online education in developing countries from Bangladesh's perspective. The study examined primary data collected through a survey. In line with the descriptive analysis of the collected data, a logistic regression model has been applied to justify the hypotheses. The findings conclude that majority of the students marked lack of technological infrastructure, high cost of internet, low speed of internet, the financial crisis of the family, and mental pressure for the students are the prime hindrances for online education in Bangladesh.
Online Teaching during COVID-19 in Bangladesh: Challenges Faced by the EL Teachers
Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA)
The study explored the challenges faced by secondary and higher secondary English language (EL) teachers in Bangladesh while teaching their learners online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like teachers in most countries across the world, Bangladeshi EL teachers had to abruptly switch to online mode of teaching from in-person classes without much preparation. Following the constructivist research paradigm and a qualitative multiple case study approach, four secondary and four higher secondary EL teachers were interviewed to gather in-depth data on the challenges they encountered. The fi ndings showed that the main challenges for the teachers included: unavailability of devices, falling interest, poor attendance of learners, less interaction in classes, lack of technological skills and training, fi nancial hardship, unstable internet connections, almost no practice of language skills, lack of online testing schemes, negative mental and physical impacts, and the overall perceived ineffi cacy of online EL classes. The paper also discusses the implications of the main fi ndings and proposes some recommendations for the teachers and other stakeholders concerned.
International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 2021
Following an extraordinary condition of confinement due to the Covid-19 epidemic, academic institutions were urged to focus on supporting telecommunications technology. Higher education went entirely online for the first time. The authors of this study performed an online voluntary survey in which Greek students were asked questions regarding the distant education they had received during the Covid-19 shutdown, particularly the synchronous variety. The goal of this study was to look at the primary difficulties that hampered students' learning, both technological hurdles that made communication difficult and teaching/learning challenges that arose because of growing trends. Recognizing the major issues that occurred in the educational process during the lockdown period will lead to improved communication in the field of remote education in the future. The research was shared with the students not just through their institutions' Student Counseling Centers, but also through articles on well-known student content websites. According to the findings of the research, most students attended synchronous communication online classes (theoretical and practical) in place of their face-to-face sessions. Students raised concerns about synchronous communication instructional techniques, as well as how their lessons were arranged and presented. They alluded to the primary technical issues that happened-on the teacher's side-preventing appropriate communication, as well as the practices that stressed them or the lack of contact between students and instructors that they encountered during the lockdown. Despite these issues, most students are interested in furthering their education through online learning in addition to regular classroom courses. Overall, this survey offered valuable supplementary information about students' attitudes regarding online education during the first quarantine period.
Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, 2022
Due to the global pandemic, there has been an emergency shift in higher education of Bangladesh from face-to-face to fully online mode. This quick and somewhat unplanned change in the mode of teaching-learning has created a lot of challenges for both the teachers and the students. It is evident that the students, especially the public university students are mostly suffering because of this change. This qualitative study thus focuses on the perceptions of the students of University of Dhaka about this new way of teaching and learning and its effects on their lives. The finding reveals that most of the challenges are regarding infrastructural conditions, economic condition, mental wellbeing and teacher-student relationship. This study also explores possible solutions for these challenges and ways to incorporate online or blended education strategies in the higher education system of Bangladesh.