ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate what language teachers believe and practice regarding the transition to online teaching, which needs more extensive research to understand the effect of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) on language teaching and learning. 156 teachers of English teachers in higher education across 5 regions stated their beliefs and practices regarding ERT that were studied through the analytical framework of data analysis informed by quantitative and qualitative tools. Descriptive statistics with the use of frequencies and percentages were used for the quantitative approach. As for the qualitative approach, qualitative content analysis was employed as the analytical tool for data analysis. Four main themes emerged from the analysis in which English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' beliefs and experiences gathered around the areas of teacher training and readiness for ERT, motivation, learner autonomy and engagement. Lack of training both on technological and pedagogical approaches was cited as one of the main challenges. In this sense, it was found that the pedagogy-informed design of new educational technology was not formed to deliver online teaching effectively. Therefore, this study adds to the knowledge of the current insights into online education amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly from EFL teachers' perspectives.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases faced several challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainties such as the lack of evidence regarding the use of immunosuppressive (IS) therapies and deferred patient care because of limited health resources affected negatively on many aspects of treatment decisions and routine follow-up of the patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the impact of the pandemic on delays in routine clinical follow-up, changes in IS treatment, and COVID-19 vaccination status of patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK). METHODS: The study was performed between July and September 2021. TAK patients who registered in our database were investigated with regards to the COVID-19 infection and vaccination status, delays in routine clinical visits, changes in their IS treatments, and flares during the pandemic. Physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging of the patients were performed and ITAS2010 scores were calculated. RESULTS: There were 56 adult TAK patients (87.5% female and median age 47 years). A total of 44 (78.6%) patients experienced a delay with routine follow-up visits to their physicians and about 20% of patients stopped their antirheumatic treatments without consulting their physicians. Compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic, 16 (28.5%) patients flared. In total group, 13 (23.2%) patients had a mild COVID-19 infection and about 90% of the patients had received the COVID-19 vaccine. DISCUSSION: Deferred patient care and disease flares are the most significant problems in TAK patients during the pandemic. The risk of TAK flares may outweigh the risk of COVID-19 infection.