The role of school principals in addressing the educational loss in English Language resulting from COVID-19 pandemic from teachers’ perspective

Abstract

Introduction. Disruptions to the educational system and ESL programmes have been particularly severe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant losses in learning outcomes, have resulted from the forced shift from traditional to remote learning modes, exposing weaknesses and large holes in the educational framework. These disruptions in the classroom have highlighted the critical need for thorough research into and comprehension of the new educational landscapes, which are characterised by decreased language exposure, fewer practise opportunities, and lessened interactive learning. To create innovative and adaptable educational frameworks that can lessen the effects of global disruptions on language acquisition and academic success, this knowledge is essential. Aim. The study aimed to identify the role of public-school principals in addressing the effects of educational loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic from the teachers’ perspective, and to reveal the significance of differences in estimates according to the classification variables of the research. Study participants and methods. The researchers used the descriptive method in its analytical and constructive style, and they used the focus group method (focused), and the questionnaire was used and applied to a random sample of (153) English teachers chosen from 30 public schools in the capital Amman. The results. The study showed that the total score of the overall relative weight of the four domains (administrative role, technical, supervisory, and societal role) was determined to be 70.24%, with the relative weights of the administrative role being 68.86%, the technical role being 68.20%, the supervisory role being 73.46%, and the societal role being 69.58%. From the teachers’ perspective, the principals' high levels of involvement in all of these areas are indicative of the significance principals place on their supervisory role in the regular course of school life. High levels of implementation can be seen in the relative weights given to certain sections within these domains, such as the preparation of school schedules and the listing of abilities lost among children as a result of dropping out of school (71.36% and 71.50%, respectively). The "T" and "Sig" values in all sections of the survey show that there are no statistically significant differences in school principals' perspectives on preventing and reversing student learning loss on the basis of gender or educational background; similar patterns were identified across roles, highlighting consistency of approach regardless of gender or academic credentials; for example, the Significance value for the teachers perspectives about the administrative role of male (Mean=3.537, N=83) principals was 0.142 compared to female principals (Mean=3.332, N=70), which means male principals act their administrative role more effective than female principals. Conclusions. The spread of COVID-19 has clearly altered the status quo of education, especially for ESL classes. As a result, the transition to online education has highlighted critical flaws in the traditional model. This study sought to better understand the critical function of public school principals in preventing educational losses from the perspective of English instructors in Amman. On average, the data showed that principals played a significant influence in preventing these dropouts throughout the administrative, technical, supervisory, and sociological spheres, with the latter function appearing as the most important. Principals' approaches were constant across gender and educational boundaries. There was a small but noticeable disparity between the administrative efficacy of male and female principals. Given these findings, it's evident that schools need to change their teaching methods to better prepare students for the future. This is especially true when it comes to English Language Acquisition (ELA), where students need to be prepared for both current and future issues.