Professional and psychological precursors of instructional approaches used in distance learning during COVID-19

Abstract

The current study addresses two antecedents that may serve to explain teachers' online instructional practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: first, the professional aspect that deals with suitable training of teachers and school support for distance learning, and second, informed by the professional aspect, the personal (psychological) aspect that discusses the self-efficacy and attitudes of teachers toward distance learning. A mixed-methods design was employed by collecting data from 327 Israeli schoolteachers. A phenomenological paradigm was used to enrich the information from the point of view of teachers who experienced the transition to distance learning. The empirical model included three aspects connected to distance learning: the professional, personal (psychological), and pedagogical-practical. The professional level included training and school support for distance learning. The personal level referred to teachers' perception of their efficacy to use technology for distance learning and their attitudes toward incorporating technology in teaching. The practical aspect comprised actual teaching methods that teachers used during distance learning. The results of the quantitative data analysis revealed that teachers' perceived efficacy to deploy competency-based learning strategies exceeded their actual use of such activities during the crisis. In practice, they maintained classroom discipline rather than enhancing collaborative practices, according to their report. The current study indicates that teachers' perceived ability to deploy distance learning activities might play a central role in explaining actual online instructional activities used during the crisis. This psychological aspect can be nurtured by appropriate professional training and technical and emotional support. Based on both quantitative and qualitative analyses, appropriate preparations are suggested to provide teachers with technical, pedagogical, and emotional support during times of crisis.

Primary School Teachers’ Perspectives on Emergency Remote Teaching of Mathematics: Challenges and Opportunities for the Post-COVID-19 Era

“…The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic affected education on a global scale, leading to unprecedented scenarios that required expeditious responses [1,2]. The harsh restrictions and lockdowns imposed in most parts of the world led to massive school closures, forcing educational institutions at all levels to make a sudden and radical transition from faceto-face teaching and learning modes to teaching and learning at a distance [3,4]. This temporary shift in instructional delivery to an online mode due to the pandemic crisis circumstances [5], which came to be known as emergency remote teaching (ERT), posed profound challenges for teachers worldwide.…”

“…Research conducted in the early stages of the pandemic indicated that educational systems around the world were not adequately prepared to deal with the rapid changes in teaching methods imposed by ERT [4,[8][9][10]. Teachers, in particular, faced numerous obstacles in adapting to teaching at a distance, both in maintaining a minimum level of communication with students to adequately support and monitor their learning progress and in achieving their instructional goals [11][12][13][14].…”

Empowering vocational educators instructional delivery through information and communication technology training in universities

“…that ICT-related training programmes improve teachers' computer skills, whether they are novices or seasoned professionals[53]-[55]. To achieve successful innovation integration, school administrators should seek support in order to identify and provide continuous training[56].…”