Transitioning to Online Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic: an Exploration of STEM Teachers’ Views, Successes, and Challenges (original) (raw)
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Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 2022
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Teacher efficacy for online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic
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The purpose of this study was to examine secondary teachers’ efficacy for teaching in a fully online teaching environment during the sudden transition to online teaching that happened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was aimed at understanding how specific variables, teaching experience, professional development (PD) experience, and teaching supports might correlate with self-efficacy perceptions of teachers transitioning to online teaching during a pandemic in the domains of student engagement, instructional strategies, classroom management and computer skills. The instrument used to measure teacher efficacy for online teaching was a web based 32-item survey that was given to Ontario secondary teachers in a greater Toronto district school board. We argued that prior experience with online learning such as Additional Qualification (AQ) courses or online professional development would build greater self-efficacy amongst teachers as they transition to online learning. The resu...
Responding to Covid-19: the integration of online teaching and learning in STEM education, 2020
COVID-19 posed formidable challenges to the teaching and learning of subjects with abstract concepts such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The study explored how STEM teachers transformed their pedagogical practices as an integral part of the transition to online teaching and learning in response to COVID-19 and further examined the effectiveness of online teaching and learning. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive survey design and involved purposively selected STEM teachers from schools operating under the auspices of the Association of Muslim Schools. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework underpinned the study. Quantitative data was collected through the administration of a Likert scale instrument. Data was analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that COVID-19 essentially compelled teachers to make a transition to online teaching and learning resulting in a concomitant profound impact ...
Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Opinions About Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 2021
This study investigated teaching self-efficacy beliefs and opinions about distance education of teachers in Turkey who switched to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. 758 teachers from Turkey completed an online questionnaire comprising demographic information questions, likert type scale items on self-efficacy for distance education, closed-ended questions addressing teachers' opinions about distance education, and an open-ended question enabling teachers express their experiences with distance education. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and content analysis. The analysis showed that teachers' beliefs in their own abilities in fulfilling the requirements of distance education, such as organizing effective learning environments and preparing different evaluation activities were not at a high level. The education they received, the active use of technology before the pandemic period and the type of school they work in have effects on teachers' self-efficacy towards distance education. The low number of students attending the live classes negatively affected their motivation. Furthermore, teachers thought that current instructional materials on the platform were not sufficient for students to be successful. However, teachers believed that their experiences in distance education during the pandemic increased their efficiency in education. Most participants received sufficient support from the school administration, but not from parents during this period. Students' lack of computers and/or internet and systemic errors were among the main problems encountered by the teachers regarding the distance education system. In the study, suggestions were made to make distance education more effective.
Online teaching self-efficacy during COVID-19: Changes, its associated factors and moderators
Online teaching transition during COVID-19 school lockdown elicited challenges for teachers and schools across the globe. The existing literature on the impact of COVID-19 in the education sector is predominantly descriptive and focused on the difficulties faced by teachers during the process of transferring into online teaching, mainly in the higher education sector. This study adopted a mixed-method design to examine online teaching self-efficacy (TSE) during COVID-19, its associated factors and moderators. A sample of 351 Chinese school teachers retrospectively reported their online TSE at the beginning and end of COVID-19 school lockdown, out of which six were followed up for an in-depth interview. TSE for online instruction did not significantly increase (β = .014, p > 0.05) whereas that for technology application increased significantly (β = .231, p < 0.01). Lack of experience in online teaching, separation of teachers from students, school administrative process and unsatisfactory student academic performance were identified as the major associated factors. A moderation effect of adaptability and teacher burnout on the change in online TSE were examined, of which passion burnout was the only significant moderator toward the change in online TSE. The study thus concluded that teachers' online TSE for technology application increased among Chinese teachers during COVID-19 school lockdown.
Educational Technology Research and Development, 2021
This mixed-methods study explored K-12 teachers' feelings, experiences, and perspectives regarding online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also examined teachers' perspectives of the "new normal" after COVID-19 and of what should be done to better prepare teachers for future emergencies. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from an online survey and follow-up interviews. A total of 107 teachers from 25 different states in the United States completed the online survey, and 13 teachers from 10 different states participated in the follow-up interviews. The results revealed teachers' feelings about online teaching and various strategies and tools they used during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The major challenges faced by teachers during the pandemic included lack of student participation and engagement (or lack of parental support), students without access to technology, concerns about students' well-being, no face-toface interactions with students, no work-life balance, and learning new technology. Four major themes emerged regarding how to better prepare teachers for future emergencies: (1) professional development for online learning, (2) technology access, (3) technology training for both teachers and students, and (4) action plans and communication. Regarding teachers' perspectives of the "new normal," five major themes emerged: (1) more online or blended learning, (2) rethinking normal, (3) hygiene and social distancing, (4) smaller classes and different school schedules, and (5) uncertainty and concerns about the "new normal."
K-12 teacher perspectives on the pandemic pivot to online teaching and learning
Journal of Pedagogical Research, 2022
The study examines teacher perspectives on preparedness to implement the transition of over 50 million K-12 students to online and virtual teaching formats. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were instructed to remain at home and to avoid the potential dangers of virus spread in schools. Once this transition began, and then continued on as the pandemic ignited, attention and scrutiny was aimed at how well teachers had been prepared for this shift. Relationships between these perceptions in terms of years of teaching, grade level, content area, school type, and school level were examined in this study. Over 140 teachers, ranging from kindergarten to senior English teachers completed the survey. The researchers analyzed emerged patterns and sentiment scores for the most prevalent themes. The study sought teacher perceptions of preparation as provided by schools, districts, and universities as well as perceptions on how engaged parents and students felt during this dramatic and sudden shift. Findings demonstrate that significant differences exist between how teachers perceive their levels of preparedness for teaching remotely depending on their teaching experience. It was evident that the pandemic affected K-12 school systems in one state harsher than in higher education. Conclusions from this study better inform future decisions of this nature and that could ensure higher levels of teacher preparation.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Teachers' Attitudes toward Online Teaching
International Journal of Higher Education, 2022
The pandemic affected the most on the student population in the shortest time. The number of students whose studies were discontinued in March 2020 was about 300 million. The number reached to 1.6 billion on April 2020. To provide basic education for the students during the pandemic, many countries transferred to a mandate of distance learning for the education system. Use of different platforms for distance learning has helped reduce learning gaps. The Corona virus has forced educational systems to enter in a mode of digital transformation and to leave physical classrooms. The impact of this situation was felt at every level of the education system, from kindergartens to universities. This situation creates not only challenges, but many opportunities. Learning in the global open space creates new learning environments and the use of new learning materials.A case study was conducted in Israel. Self-prepared questionnaires were given to 123 educators who teach in elementary schools, ...
Purpose-The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led education institutions to move all face-to-face (F2F) courses online. The situation is unique in that teachers and students can make a direct comparison of their courses before (F2F) and after COVID-19 (online). This study aims to analyze teachers' viewpoints for this unprecedented change. Design/methodology/approach-The study followed a mixed-method approach within an ex post facto survey research design. Research tools were distributed among 200 Indian secondary school teachers following a heterogeneous purposive sampling technique. As the study was conducted during the pandemic backdrop researchers used Google forms and telephonic interviews to collect data. Findings-Teachers viewed positively to this shift from F2F to online teaching-learning (OTL). They were found to have an overall moderate level of online teaching efficacy and where good efficacy prevails there found minimal concern for infrastructure, an attitude showing least concern for "what is not" and more concerned with "what they can do with what is having." A statistically significant effect of teacher efficacy was found on their perception of OTL infrastructure that supports this strong conviction among few teachers. Statistical analysis revealed for every 1 standard unit increase in self-efficacy, the perceived OTL infrastructure was to be increased by 0.997 standard units which support the strong correlation between the two chosen cognitive variables (r = 0.8). Besides, teachers were not found as a homogeneous group concerning their reported readiness for online teaching yet, different subgroups of teachers exist which may require different approaches for support and counseling. Originality/value-The paper reports an original empirical survey conducted in India and the write-up is based strictly on the survey findings only. An exclusive analysis of teachers' views of their efficacy and perceived OTL infrastructure. At the same time, path-breaking in analyzing the chemistry between the two variables which will help improving apposite culture, practice and understanding of the digital pedagogy securing quality OTL in the long run.
Cakrawala pendidikan/Cakrawala Pendidikan, 2024
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sudden transition of teaching and learning from the perspectives of the teacher educators and students of an education graduate faculty in one of the universities in Brunei Darussalam. During the first COVID-19 outbreak in the country, higher education institutions shifted the conventional teaching and learning approach from mostly face-toface to fully online teaching and learning. The online questionnaires were distributed to the teaching staff and students via email, and the response rates of the online questionnaires for teacher educators and students were 88% and 57.6%, respectively. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data, where frequency and percentage were then utilised to describe the patterns of the responses. It was found that half of the teacher educators and students perceived there were more interactions through online teaching activities between the teaching staff and their students. However, both staff and students mentioned that their physical and mental wellbeing was also affected by the sudden transition to online teaching and learning.