EXPERIENCES OF TEACHING ENGLISH TEACHER EDUCATION ONLINE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Abstract

Previous research (Johnson, Veletsianos, & Seaman, 2020) has highlighted that the abrupt shift from traditional in-person to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic caught many educators off guard, distinguishing it from the well-planned approach to online education before the pandemic. The disparities between well-planned pre-COVID online education and the impromptu shift to online teaching during COVID give rise to diverse challenges for educators in designing and delivering courses in the online setting. This interpretive study aimed to delve into the lived experiences of English teacher educators as they navigated the design and delivery of online English language arts methods courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questions guiding this study revolved around the insights gained into the experiences of English teacher educators in preparing and teaching online courses, as well as the challenges they faced in designing and delivering online instructional practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered through online questionnaires, submissions of course syllabi, and the follow-up semi-structured interviews of English teacher educators. The findings reveal that English teacher educators experienced notable disparities between in-person and online instruction, encompassing course aspects such as organizing the course structure, presenting and delivering course content, adapting learning activities, fostering social interactions, and assessing student work and providing feedback. Additionally, this study sheds light on the challenges faced as well as support received by English teacher educators during this transition. By understanding English teacher educators’ online teaching experiences in the context of this pandemic, this research ascertained their needs. This implies the importance of emphasizing preparedness and flexibility to teach through different delivery modes. It also provides valuable insights for higher education administrators in offering targeted support to teacher educators for future online education endeavors.