ABSTRACT
Online learning research has garnered widespread interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the perspective of elementary and secondary school teachers on online learning is largely unknown. As such, this study sought to ascertain the perspectives of 276 elementary and secondary school teachers on online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. This study adopted a survey method using an online questionnaire to collect data, which was distributed via Google Forms. A descriptive analysis was performed on the collected data. The findings indicate that teachers in elementary and secondary schools in Indonesia believe their online learning is ineffective during the COVID-19 pandemic. One reason they rated their online learning ineffective during the COVID-19 pandemic is that their inability to adapt to a new culture of online instruction, which could be interpreted as a result of their classes not being prepared online. Therefore, the findings imply that an appropriate online instructional design for online learning must be prepared more comprehensively. Finally, the limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed. © 2022 by the authors.
ABSTRACT
Background: Down syndrome (DS) is characterized by variable degrees of intellectual disability (ID). The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) lockdown prevented children with DS from reaching their rehabilitation facilities. This could have led to deterioration of their abilities and mental health hazards. The aim of this cohort study was to investigate frequency of COVID-19, the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on health, and some abilities of children with DS, and to explore factors that could have governed receiving home-based training during the lockdown. A survey of 150 individuals with Down syndrome was answered by their caregivers. Additionally, 135 participants were subjected to assessment of cognitive, language, and motor abilities using Portage program. They were divided into 2 groups: group I who received online therapy sessions during the lockdown and group II who did not receive sessions. Logistic regression was used to determine the factors which influenced getting home-based training. Results: The percentage of COVID-19 cases was 3.3%. All evaluated abilities were reduced despite receiving online sessions particularly language performance (P < 0.001). Male gender, having severe ID and low parental education were among the factors which encouraged parents to get virtual training. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the abilities of DS children even those who got rehabilitation sessions. Their dependence on social interaction could have limited the benefit of virtual sessions. Factors that influence a parent’s decision to get home-based training should be monitored and targeted in order to overcome obstacles or concepts that may prevent families from enduring home-based intervention.