ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a drastic transformation to schooling for students throughout the world. During this period, a number of issues arose in our local, national and global communities, including the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests and rallies organised by #BlackLivesMatter. Living through and witnessing many social issues, coupled with the new and enduring pandemic, furthered our understandings of how young people were engaging with these topics without the structures of schools to support them. This article presents the results of a case study where youth aged 15–17 years shared their experiences and understandings about many social justice issues they were observing. The most significant learning around these issues for youth occurred informally through social media as opposed to in the classroom, reinforcing that schools are not ethical spaces from which to challenge institutional, structural and systemic barriers to justice. As such, this article discusses the potential for formal education to be transformed into an ethical and decolonising space to learn about and challenge injustice. © 2022, Thashika Pillay, Claire Ahn, Kenneth Gyamerah and Shuyuan Liu.
ABSTRACT
There has been a gradual shift over the years towards the use of social networking sites (SNS) in formal and informal English language learning which was accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though there is an abundance of articles dedicated to probing into the in-depth use of SNS in English language learning, a clear correlation between the formal and informal application of SNS in English language learning is still scarce. Therefore, this systematic review aims to exhaustively analyse the recent findings regarding the integration of SNS in English language learning in both formal and informal learning contexts. Two databases were employed, which are the Web of Science (WoS) and Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC) and thirty articles were extracted for further review. These articles were selectively restricted to a five-year (2018–2022) range and have been screened for any contradiction against the research objectives. As an overview, SNS is favoured for different kinds of applications in teaching and learning purposes due to observed improvements in overall language skills, social interactions, motivation and flexibility. It is proposed for future researchers to focus on a specific target group as well as specific SNS platforms which could help the researchers to minimize discrepancies.
ABSTRACT
The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the unexpected transition to online teaching due to COVID-19 necessitates that teachers should have the knowledge, competent skills and strategies to integrate digital tools and platforms effectively. Literature suggests however that many teachers do not feel confident enough or lack perceived capability in teaching using advanced technologies in classrooms, and do not have positive self-efficacy beliefs towards their online teaching. Hence, the purpose of this mixed-method study is to investigate teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) in online learning environments amid COVID-19. A total of 150 K-12 teachers from six Arab countries were invited to participate in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that perceived self-efficacy of online teaching was high. Two main factors, receiving support to design online instruction and receiving professional development in online teaching, significantly predict participants' sense of self-efficacy. Teachers who have previous experience in online teaching scored higher on their self-efficacy than teachers with limited or no experience. Student engagement had the weakest correlation between the four scales with the overall self-efficacy. Parental involvement was discovered through the qualitative analysis to be an emerging factor that could enhance teachers' self-efficacy. Recommendations and limitations are further discussed.
ABSTRACT
University education in times of COVID-19 was forced to seek alternative teaching/learning methods to the traditional ones, having to abruptly migrate to the online modality, changes that have repercussions on student satisfaction. That is why this study aims to compare the level of student satisfaction in face-to-face and "forced" online modalities under COVID-19. A quantitative, cross-sectional methodology was applied to two groups of students: Under a face-to-face modality (n = 116) and under an online modality (n = 120), to which a questionnaire was applied under a Likert scale, with four dimensions: Course design structure, content, resources, and instructor. Non-parametric statistics, specifically the Mann-Whitney U-test, were used to compare the groups. The results showed that there are significant differences in the level of satisfaction of students in the face-to-face and online "forced" modalities (p = 0.01984 < 0.05), and the dimensions of the level of satisfaction that presented significant differences were course design structure (p = 0.04523 < 0.05) and content (p = 0.00841 < 0.05). The research shows that students in the face-to-face modality express a higher level of satisfaction, which is reflected in the dimension design structure of the course, specifically in its workload indicator, as well as in the dimension content, in its indicators, overlapping with other courses and materials.
ABSTRACT
During the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the ability to be a self-regulated learner has become more important with the introduction of online classes. These changes mean that students are now required to review their learning strategies and self-manage their learning time. We have developed a new "ePortfolio system" with the aim of building a system that fosters self-regulated learners and can visualize students' learning outcomes. This paper introduces the concepts of our ePortfolio system as a Learning Management System ePortfolio building system that will provide enhanced functions and become a university-wide initiative.
ABSTRACT
The global spread of COVID-19 has resulted in learning and teaching being confronted with immense challenges and changes since spring 2020. Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic had and continue to have a particularly strong impact on non-formal and informal learning, which are important features of out-of-class on-line STEM workshops combining science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We developed and carried out online STEM workshops for approximately 250 students during times of isolation in the spring and summer of 2020. To identify potential success factors and stumbling blocks for designing and implementing online STEM workshops, we conducted a qualitative interview-based study with a selection of eight experts in the summer and autumn 2020, i.e. after the STEM workshops. The experts were Austrian and German teachers who planned and implemented STEM workshops for students age 10 to 18. Our collected data was examined using techniques of grounded theory approaches. Using techniques of qualitative interview studies and grounded theory approaches, we found that removing learning barriers and creating new types of learning spaces, online socio-constructivist learning, and teachers' TPACK for STEM Workshops are important factors when considering and designing STEM workshops for online learning environments. These same factors will also be central when planning and implementing online STEM workshops in post-COVID-19 times. To facilitate student participation and to increase social interaction are critical elements for practitioners working on online STEM workshops-both during and after COVID-19. Highly trained teachers with in-depth technical, pedagogical, and content skills are essential to facilitate participation and interactions among students, teachers, and learning contents.
ABSTRACT
With the integration of technology in teaching and learning, online learning is not a new instructional strategy in the education landscape. However, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated the implementation of Home-based Learning (HBL) for educators, parents, and students on an unprecedented duration and scale. The notions and the factors associated with the implementation of HBL are yet fully investigated. As such, this study aims to shed light on the prerequisites needed for implementing HBL and suggest its future research direction. The methodology involves a systematic review of the existing studies on ICT-supported formal learning outside the classroom and to identify the prerequisites of HBL from various perspectives of the students, teachers, and parents. By doing so, this report will provide a deeper understanding of the multiple components of HBL and how it is to be taken into consideration when implementing HBL from both the theoretical and practical standpoint.