scholarly journals Online Teachers: Stepping out of the Comfort Zone Is a Must

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Amina Abdelhadi
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comfort Zone ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
High Level ◽  
Technological Constraints

The urgent shift to the online instructional environment has produced unprecedented challenges for teachers and placed new obligations on them. In this context, the study at hand investigated higher education teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of online teaching, their readiness to teach online and their willingness to teach outside their comfort zone. To this end, an online survey was conducted with 24 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers from various Algerian universities using a questionnaire created in Google Forms. The obtained results reveal that the majority of the EFL teachers perceive online teaching as less effective than face-to-face teaching due to three key factors: technological constraints, learners’ unpreparedness, teachers’ technophobia and health issues. Though it was mandatory for them to teach online at the beginning of the lockdown in March, the teachers’ responses imply a low level of personal and contextual readiness, which, in turn, affected their willingness to teach online. This study highlights the correlation between teachers’ readiness and willingness to teach online. It indicates that a high level of readiness can help the teacher adapt to the change, reduce resistance and ensure the constant extension of their comfort zone. This study ends with some practical suggestions and a number of opportunities for future research.

scholarly journals Blended learning and the language teacher: a literature review

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Alexandra Mendieta Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Innovative Idea ◽  
Effective Models

An innovative idea which is increasingly gaining attention is the infusion of technology into face-to-face language curricular programs.Nonetheless, although “the approach of blending Computer-assisted Language Learning (CALL) applications with face-to-face teaching andlearning is as old as CALL itself” (Neumeier, 2005, p. 163), CALL as a field still lacks qualitative research on blended learning. There is insufficientinformation about teachers’ perceptions and the roles they play in these mixed environments, and without an understanding of these features,it is difficult to create new and effective models (Grgurovic, 2010). Research has been conducted comparing learning outcomes in traditionaland blended foreign language classes, yet the various sociocultural (external) and psychological (internal) aspects that mediate teachers’and learners’ transition from face-to-face to online learning, seem to go unexamined (White, 2006). Throughout this paper, therefore, I reviewliterature on the infusion of technology into the curriculum, specifically in relation to blended learning, so as to a) illustrate teachers’ viewsabout blended leaning and their transition from face-to-face to blended/online instruction; and b) discuss ways in which future research mightprovide an alternative understanding of how language teachers manage the new-work order established by the online learning componentpresent in blended programs.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Perceptions of the Transition from Onsite to Online Teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 416-422
Author(s):  
Luu Nguyen Quoc Hung
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Traditional Classroom Teaching ◽  
Temporary Closure

Educational systems worldwide have been affected by government restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, causing the temporary closure of many educational institutions. The new condition has forced teachers to make the transition from onsite to online teaching. The current study used a descriptive method to examine online teachers’ perceptions towards online teaching during the transition to online learning at a center for foreign languages in Vietnam. The results reveal that teachers have a relatively positive perception of online teaching, although many typical problems of online teaching do present themselves and the effectiveness of online teaching does not always compare favorably with traditional classroom teaching. Teachers’ suggestions are significant for improving online teaching quality. Online teaching is highly likely here to stay and will continue to improve. The transition from traditional face-to-face classrooms to online teaching can be successfully achieved and its quality can be ensured if challenges and ways of improving online learning continue to be closely examined.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ONLINE LEARNING: AN EXAMINTATION TOWARDS ENGLISH TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION AND PRATICES

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Naajihah Mafruudloh ◽  
Fais Wahidatul Arifatin ◽  
Uswatun Chasanah
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Language Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning

Information technology is well developed today. This is shown by several applications that support online activities, social activities, commerce, services, and learning. In this pandemic situation (covid-19), several institutions provided policies to carry out online learning to prevent and minimize the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In this case, the institution committees ask the teachers and lecturers to provide online learning to students, especially in learning English. The purpose of this study was to determine the teachers' perceptions in online language learning. Researchers used a questionnaire instrument to conduct surveys and interviews to obtain qualitative data. This is aimed to observe the teachers’ perception towards online language teaching practices and changes in teaching to online teaching. The things encountered during learning, as well as obstacles faced by the English teacher. In online learning, teachers must be able to involve students so that the situation runs like face-to-face learning. The final results of this study will be useful for online language teachers, institutions, and all aspects involved in education.

scholarly journals Technostress in Spanish University Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Penado Abilleira ◽  
María-Luisa Rodicio-García ◽  
María Paula Ríos-de Deus ◽  
Maria José Mosquera-González
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Previous Theory ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
The Government

One of the measures adopted by the government of Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the elimination of face-to-face classes in all universities, requiring that all teachers had to conduct their classes in an online mode. The objective of this article is to study how this adaptation among university teachers affected their job performance due to the technostress (objective and subjective) that they may have suffered. Based on the person-environment misfit theory (P-E fit theory), the sample consisted of 239 teachers from face-to-face and online universities in Spain who were asked to identify the type of technostress, feelings of technostress, and impact on job performance as a result of online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that teachers who suffered the most from the negative consequences of technology have been female teachers from face-to-face universities who are older, have more years of experience, and consequently, hold a higher position. Despite previous results none of the above variables have been significant in explaining the decline in job performance during confinement. It was also observed that although the effect on job performance was similar for online teachers as well as face-to-face teachers, the variables that explained this effect were different. For the online teachers, there was a misfit between the demands and resources, which are explained based on the previous theory (P-E fit theory). Teachers from face-to-face universities pointed to the lack of instructions from their organization, along with subjective feelings of techno-inefficacy, as the reasons behind the decline in job performance during the lockdown period. Looking ahead to future research on the incorporation of information and communications technology in teaching work, it is necessary to consider variables associated with technostress, both objective and subjective, in order to increase the effectiveness of integrating emerging technology into teaching work.

scholarly journals ELT Online Teachers’ Professional Development During the Covid-19 Pandemic Outbreak: Perceptions, Implications and Adaptations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1161-1170
Author(s):  
Abdullah Al-Bargi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Teachers

As lockdown restrictions were implemented in most countries around the world with the subsequent transition to full-mode online teaching and learning, English language teachers (ELTs) in particular, had to adapt and adopt new teaching strategies. These unexpected changes to the medium or mode of teaching necessitated the provision of efficacious and coherent professional development (PD) training in order to smoothly navigate the transition from full-time (or semi full-time) onsite teaching and learning to full-mode online teaching. This research study, based on sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design, is aimed at exploring the availability and provision of ELT PD opportunities at English Language Institutes (ELIs)/English Language Centers (ELCs), at five major universities in Saudi Arabia and the perception of the ELT teachers on its coherence and adequacy. A total of 307 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) male and female teachers participated in a custom designed 20-item questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale, as well as ten EFL teachers (6 female and 4 male) taking part in 40-minute semi-structured interviews, to explore their perception and opinions of online PD opportunities. Analysis of results of the gathered data indicated that the majority of the teachers felt that there were adequate online PD opportunities while the structures of these opportunities sufficiently addressed most of their needs. However, some teachers voiced concerns regarding the correlation between contextual, full-mode online teaching and the online PD sessions provided. Implications and recommendations for stake holders as well as for future research are given at the end of this study.

scholarly journals E-Classroom Interactional Competencies: Mediating and Assisting Language Learning During Synchronous Online Lessons

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822098527
Author(s):  
Benjamin Luke Moorhouse ◽  
Yanna Li ◽  
Steve Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Synchronous Online

Interaction is seen by many English language teachers and scholars as an essential part of face-to-face English language classrooms. Teachers require specific competencies to effectively use interaction as a tool for mediating and assisting learning. These can be referred to as classroom interactional competence (CIC). However, the situation created by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic which began in early 2020, and the recent advancement in technologies have led to teachers conducting synchronous online lessons through video-conferencing software. The online environment is distinctly different from the face-to-face classroom and teachers require new and additional skills to effectively utilise interaction online in real time. This exploratory study used an online mixed-method survey of 75 university level English language teachers who had engaged in synchronous online teaching due to COVID-19, to explore the competencies that teachers need to use interaction as a tool to mediate and assist language learning in synchronous online lessons. Teachers were found to require three competencies, in addition to their CIC – technological competencies, online environment management competencies, and online teacher interactional competencies – which together constitute e-CIC. The findings provide greater insights into the needs of teachers required to teach synchronously online and will be of interest to teachers and teacher educators.

scholarly journals Swedish and Finnish Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Summative Assessment Practices

Languages ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Raili Hilden ◽  
Anne Dragemark Oscarson ◽  
Ali Yildirim ◽  
Birgitta Fröjdendahl
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Summative Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Summative Assessments ◽  
Curricular Alignment ◽  
Oral Skills

Summative assessments are an exercise of authority and something that pupils cannot easily appeal. The importance of teachers being able to assess their pupils correctly is consequently both a question of national equivalence and individual fairness. Therefore, summative assessment is a paramount theme in teacher education, and we aimed to investigate the perceptions and competence of student teachers regarding common summative assessment practices. The study was conducted at three universities, two in Sweden and one in Finland involving prospective language teachers responding to an online survey (N = 131). In addition, interviews were carried out with 20 Swedish and 6 Finnish student teachers. The analysis of the data indicates that student teachers value practices that enhance communication and collaboration as well as the curricular alignment of summative assessments. With respect to perceived competence, the respondents in general felt most confident with deploying traditional forms of summative assessment, while they were more uncertain about process evaluation and oral skills. Regarding significant differences in the participants’ perceptions of competence among the three universities, Finnish university students reported higher levels in all variables. However, room for improvement was found at all universities involved.

Online Instructors as Distance Education Experts

2015 ◽  
pp. 167-189
Author(s):  
Libi Shen
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Educational Technology ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Technology Standards ◽  
Online Instructors ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
National Educational Technology Standards

An expert is a person with content knowledge and professional skills in a field. Are online teachers distance education experts? What are the main behavioral, cognitive, and emotional characteristics of distance education instructors? What competencies should online instructors possess in order to be distance education experts? In this chapter, the researcher examines National Educational Technology Standards for teachers, National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, and empirical research on teachers' roles and competencies to seek a definition for online instructors as distance education experts. Several issues related to online teachers' competencies and technology standards are discussed. Future research studies are recommended.

The characteristics of Queensland private physiotherapy practitioners’ interprofessional interactions: a cross-sectional survey study

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Jack A. Seaton ◽  
Anne L. Jones ◽  
Catherine L. Johnston ◽  
Karen L. Francis
Keyword(s):  
Private Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
High Level

Effective interprofessional collaboration (IPC) contributes to superior patient outcomes, facilitates cost-efficient health care, and increases patient and practitioner satisfaction. However, there is concern that IPC may be difficult to implement in clinical settings that do not conform to formal team-based processes, such as mono-professional physiotherapy private practice facilities. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of private physiotherapy practitioners’ interprofessional interactions, including their experiences and perceptions regarding IPC. A custom developed cross-sectional online survey instrument was used to collect data from physiotherapists employed in private practice facilities in Queensland, Australia. In all, 49 (20% response rate) physiotherapists completed the survey. Only a small proportion (14%) indicated that their interprofessional interactions were a daily occurrence, and less than one-third of all respondents (31%) participated in formal, multi-professional face-to-face planned meetings. Most participants (76%) reported a moderate-to-high level of satisfaction regarding their interprofessional interactions. Despite low self-reported levels of interprofessional activity and other data indicating that IPC is necessary for holistic patient care, this study shows that physiotherapists were predominately satisfied when interacting with health practitioners from various professional backgrounds. Further research is required to inform the implementation of robust strategies that will support sustainable models of IPC in physiotherapy private practice.

scholarly journals Enabling Translanguaging in the French Language Classroom

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiko Weinmann ◽  
Noella Charbonneau
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Beliefs And Practice

Recent studies in multilingual and translanguaging pedagogies have shifted the focus from investigating how students engage their multilingual repertoires to exploring how teachers understand and implement these pedagogical directions in their practice. In this article, the authors report on a national online survey on the multilingual perspectives and practices of teachers of French in Australia. The overall goal of the survey discussed here was to comprehensively capture how teachers of French understand the teaching and learning of languages in general, and of French in particular. The study revealed several tensions between the language teachers’ beliefs and practice. While most of the survey participants expressed strong support for innovative pedagogies such as translanguaging (García & Wei, 2014), and keen motivation to engage the full multilingual repertoire of their learners, a closer reading of the data indicated that most of them felt restricted in their practice by “the normative terms and conditions of an understanding of languages education that remains rooted in parochial, monolingual and pecuniary perspectives” (Weinmann & Arber, 2017, p. 173). In particular, the findings indicate that (self-)perceptions of “non-native” language teachers as “culturally deficient” continue to frame the notion of what constitutes a “good” language teacher (Holliday, 2015). For teachers to feel more confident and better equipped to effectively implement translanguaging pedagogies in their practice, teachers’ perceptions of their own multilingual identities and how these are shaped within the systems they work in (Young, 2017) need to be better understood. Keywords: Languages teaching, languages education, translanguaging, native language teacher, non-native language teacher, linguistic repertoire, multilingualism, Australia

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