Assessment of University Teachers on the Quality of Virtual Teaching

This study was carried out to evaluate the perception that the teaching staff of a private university in southern Peru had about the quality of virtual teaching conditioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted in 2022 with 341 participants, for a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%, measuring dimensions such as: academic aspect, materials and connectivity, participation and evaluation, and research and university social responsibility. The results showed that figures greater than the minimum proposed were reached, the best valued dimension was that of materials and connectivity and the least valued was research and university social responsibility. This change in teaching modality has represented an opportunity to improve the quality of university teaching, leaving interaction with other people-typical of attendance-in areas such as health sciences as a pending task. © 2022 IEEE.

Perspectives on the Barriers to and Needs of Teachers’ Professional Development in the Philippines during COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, remote or distance education has become the norm in the Philippines. Yet even in its second year, remote teaching and learning still face ongoing challenges, as does the need for teachers’ professional development. This paper describes a study that examined teachers’ perspectives on barriers and needs in professional development. The study involved 174 teachers who were teaching online courses in the National Capital Region. The participants completed a survey detailing their professional development frequency, perspectives, barriers, and needs, while eight teachers agreed to participate in a follow-up interview. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis have shown that teachers’ pedagogical and information technology skills requirements are influenced primarily by their prior professional development experiences and their need to apply active learning and innovative teaching ideas. Qualitative analyses indicate that teachers’ professional development needs are mostly focused on skills related to online teaching, information technology literacy, and conducting research. In addition, data indicated that barriers to professional development were primarily caused by financial and time constraints and a lack of teacher motivation and logistical support. In summary, for remote education to be sustainable, teachers need ongoing professional development as well as adequate logistical support. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.