An Investigation into Teacher Preparedness for Emergency Remote Teaching in the Context of Vietnam

This study examined the preparation English teachers in Vietnam had for Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it investigated the levels of confidence teachers had about their pedagogical and technological knowledge. It also looked at their attitudinal readiness and the institutional support offered to them. Ninety-seven teachers of English in the southern areas of the country, which were severely hit by the fourth wave of the pandemic from May to September 2021, were invited to complete an online survey. The responses were analyzed descriptively, and item-level means were calculated to identify teachers' greatest challenges and the instructional aspects they found most confident about during ERT. Cross tabulations were also employed to compare different groups of teachers' readiness to teach online. The results showed that English teachers in the affected areas perceived themselves to be relatively prepared for the swift transition to online teaching and substantially positive about their pedagogical approach to lesson delivery in the virtual environment. Regarding technological know-how, they exploited various ready-made resources but were unknowledgeable about authoring software and uncertain of how to use technological tools effectively. They also reported receiving little support from their superiors and authorities. © 2022 Aesthetics Media Services. All rights reserved.

Foreign language trainee teachers’ concerns and preparedness to implement inclusive instructional practices with learners with special educational needs: training induced changes

The study was conducted in a group of second year university students – pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The aim of the study was to investigate how the trainee teachers’ participation in a compulsory SEN-dedicated course delivered online impacted their self-reported concerns and preparedness to implement inclusive teaching practices with foreign language (FL) learners with special educational needs (SEN). A semester-long course was designed and conducted as part of emergency remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected online via before and after course questionnaires. Principal component analysis of the preparedness and concerns scales led to a two-factor (F1 – self-efficacy beliefs and knowledge and F2 – attitudes) and a single factor solution (concerns) respectively. The pre- (N=113) and post-course (N=86) online survey responses were compared with regard to all the factors. The analysis showed that the participants’ post-course attitudes were more positive than at the beginning of the course, but the difference was not statistically significant. We observed a statistically significant increase in the trainee teachers’ post-course self-efficacy beliefs and knowledge of inclusion and SEN, with a large effect size. This change was paired with a statistically significant increase in their post-course concerns, with medium effect size for the change. A series of one-way MANOVAs showed that the effect of demographic variables (gender, teaching experience other than during practicum, experience with learners with SEN) on all factors across the two datasets was not statistically significant. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 pandemic and preparedness of teachers for online synchronous classes

COVID-19 pandemic has forced educational institutes to shut down, and teachers are compelled to adopt technology ardently so that the teaching-learning process does not suffer. Gradually, it is being realised that synchronous online classes are required to enhance the teaching-learning experience. The major challenge in India is the lack of preparedness of the teachers, as most teachers have little experience with technology. Nevertheless, they have to adapt themselves quickly. However, to effectively use technology for synchronous online teaching, teachers have to be technology ready and proficient with utilising the platform used for online classes. This study attempts to understand the impact of teachers' preparedness on the use of online platforms for synchronous teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper integrates the technology readiness index (TRI) and technology acceptance model (TAM), also known as the TR and acceptance model (TRAM), to investigate the phenomenon mentioned above.

A correlational study of teacher perceptions of preparedness for online instruction

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between teacher preparedness for online instruction and affective factors related to work (job satisfaction, job stress, and organizational commitment) as perceived by secondary teachers within a small public school district in Southeast Texas. COVID-19 has shown that at a given moment the world, as we know it, can change. During the summer of the 2020-2021 school year, school districts relied heavily on the use of virtual professional development to educate teachers on the basics of providing online instruction (Ferdig et al., 2020). While this short period of time was beneficial for some, several teachers continued on, trying to grasp the overall concept of online instruction (Marasi et al, 2020). Teacher preparedness contributes to the overall success (Darling-Hammond, 2000) and attitudes of teachers. Naylor and Nyanjom (2020) noted that several factors contribute to teacher feelings about their current organization. These factors include the teacher's overall well-being, job satisfaction, burnout risk and retention, the emotional bonds created with students, teaching strategies, curriculum selection, and lastly, lesson planning efforts contribute to their feelings towards their current work organization. Using the Pearson ProductMoment Correlation within this quantitative study determined that as teacher preparedness increased so did the overall teacher perception of job satisfaction, job stress and organizational commitment. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the importance of meaningful professional development ensuring teacher perceptions are preserved through swift changes. Moreover, the relationship between teacher perception of online preparedness, job satisfaction, job stress and organizational commitment are evident and warranted analysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Learning Design Experiences of the Namibian Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: an Ethnographic Perspective.

This study presents an ethnographic account of the learning design experiences of six Namibian teachers during school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores the emotions, perspectives and actions of these teachers and also reveals the influence of personal, institutional and national culture on their learning design decisions, processes and outcomes. This exploration is important because it surfaces and highlights teacher experiences with learning design that can be used to influence practice and policy in future emergency situations. Data were collected using a variety of educational ethnographic techniques including artefacts, formal and informal interviews, and stimulated recall from video presentations. Five knowledge criteria were identified around the learning design and innovative processes of emergency remote teaching. These knowledge criterion include the Professional and School Context, Emotions of the participants at the time; Perspectives and actions to meet the Challenge; Process and Preparations for Remote teaching; Learning Design Context-based Decisions (including the processes used; the outcomes, and teaching artefacts). Results indicate that the school situation and context influenced the appropriate learning design materials. Furthermore, results showed that lack of infrastructure, access and connectivity as well as teacher ICT confidence and competency affected the decision making in learning design. Most of all, fear of being infected by SARS CoV-2 and fear for one's life gripped teachers such that they were unable to fully engage in problem-solving for designing appropriate learning materials for learners.