ENGLISH TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE AND CHALLENGES IN FACING IMMEDIATE ONLINE TEACHING: A CASE STUDY IN VIETNAM
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Early 21st century saw great changes in all fields of life due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Education worldwide has to suffer from many difficulties when schools are forced to close down for safety. In Vietnam, online teaching has been applied in most of cities and provinces where COVID-19 pandemic has been serious. The implementation of remote teaching in a large quantity of schools was first seen in 2021. However, not many studies have been found on massive immediate online teaching. Due to the fact that a thorough understanding of online teaching in English language teaching is necessary for better online teaching to be delivered in the near future, this study aims to investigate English teachers’ attitudes towards online teaching and their challenges.
Methodology: This study was designed as a qualitative case study. Nine English teachers from the primary schools and high schools were invited to participate in the semi-interviews. The research instrument used was the in-depth interviews, in which the questions were adapted from the previous studies. Data were generated using codes and analysed in themes.
Findings: The findings revealed that COVID-19 is the main factor forcing English teachers to equip themselves with knowledge and skills for online teaching. It was found that English teachers in Vietnam were reluctant to conduct remote language teaching due to the lack of knowledge and skills of integrating technology in education, facilities, teaching condition, and parents’ interference.
Contributions: The study concludes that English teachers in Vietnam experience hardship with the remote teaching and their challenges. With such understanding, it is suggested that instant support for teachers and continuous training should be provided to reduce the hardship and improve teachers’ skills in conducting online teaching.
Keywords: English teaching, online teaching, teachers’ attitude, teacher training, educational technology.
Cite as: Vo, T. K. A. (2022). English teachers’ attitude and challenges in facing immediate online teaching: A case study in Vietnam. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(2), 495-511. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss2pp495-511
References
Atmojo, A. E. P., & Nugroho, A. (2020). EFL classes must go online! Teaching activities and challenges during COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Register Journal, 13(1), 49–76.
Balasopoulou, A., Κokkinos, P., Pagoulatos, D., Plotas, P., Makri, O. E., Georgakopoulos, C. D., Loukovaara, S. (2020). Sustaining academics during Covid-19 pandemic: The role of online teaching-learning. Indian Journal of Orthamology, 68(6),
1220-1221
Borup, J., & Evmenova, A. (2019). The effectiveness of professional development in overcoming obstacles to effective online instruction in a college of education. Online Learning, 23(2), 1–20.
Cengiz, C. (2015). The development of TPACK, technology integrated self-efficacy and instructional technology outcome expectations of pre-service physical education teachers. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 43(5), 411–422.
Chandrasinghe, P. C., Siriwardana, R. C., Kumarage, S. K., Munasinghe, B. N. L., Weerasuriya, A., Tillakaratne, S., & Fernando, F. R. (2020). A novel structure for online surgical undergraduate teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Medical
Education, 20(1), 1–7.
Daniel, M. C., Schumacher, G., Stelter, N., & Riley, C. (2016). Student perception of online learning in ESL bilingual teacher preparation. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 4(3), 561–569.
Gao, L. X., & Zhang, L. J. (2020). Teacher learning in difficult times: Examining foreign language teachers’ cognitions about online teaching to tide over COVID-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(1), 1–14.
Huynh, T. N., & Nguyen, T. U. N. (2021). In-service language teachers’ attitudes towards technology use and the development of their perceived CALL competences. Taiwan Journal of TESOL, 18(2), 29–62.
Jen, T. H., Yeh, Y. F., Hsu, Y. S., Wu, H. K., & Chen, K. M. (2016). Science teachers’ TPACK-practical: Standard-setting using an evidence-based approach. Computers and Education, 5(1), 45–62.
Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., Kereluik, K., Shin, T. S., & Graham, C. R. (2008). The technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. van Merrienboer, & M. P. Driscoll (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational
communications and technology (pp. 101–111). Springer.
Ministry of Education and Training. (2021). Guidelines on organising teaching and learning activities in COVID-19 pandemic. Hanoi, Vietnam.
Nguyen, U. N. T., & Nguyen, L. V. (2021). Resilience to withstand Covid-19 crisis: Lessons from a foreign language institution in vietnam. Computer-Assisted Language Learning - EJ, 22(2), 40–55.
Pelgrum, W. J. (2001). Obstacles to the integration of ICT in education: Results from a worldwide educational assessment. Computers and Education, 37(2), 163–178.
Pham, H. H., & Ho, T. T. H. (2020). Toward a ‘new normal’ with e-learning in Vietnamese higher education during the post COVID-19 pandemic. Higher Education Research and Development, 39(7), 1327–1331.
Pham, T. T. N. (2019). The impact of the application of IDDIR model-based approach on ICT integration for teaching English speaking skills among Vietnamese English teachers. Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Pham, T. T. N., Tan, C. K., & Lee, K. W. (2019). ICT integration in teaching English in Vietnam through the lens of SAMR model. GLOCALL.
Phan, N. D. L., Vo, T. Q. A., Nguyen, H. N., & Hoang, T. T. P. (2021). Factors of acceptance and use of urgent online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic among third year students taking an English course at the University of Danang. International
Journal of E-Learning Practices, 4(1), 41–60.
Richardson, J. W., Hollis, E., Pritchard, M., & Novosed-Lingat, J. E. (2020). Shifting teaching and learning in online learning spaces: An investigation of a faculty online teaching and learning initiative. Online Learning, 24(1), 67-91.
Shulman, L. E. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Research, 15(2), 4–14.
Tartavulea, C. V., Albu, C. N., Albu, N., Dieaconescu, R. I., & Petre, S. (2020). Online teaching practices and the effectiveness of the educational process in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Amfiteatru Economic, 22(55), 920–936.
Vo, T. K. A. (2019). Context evaluation on the implementation of professional component of English teacher education programme in Vietnam. Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Vo, T. K. A. (2021). Vietnamese secondary teachers’ responses to emergency online teaching. International Journal on E-Learning Practices, 4(1), 33–40.
Vo, T. K. A., & Pang, V. (2021). The application of CIPP model to evaluate online teaching for English- majored programmes in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Institutional Research South East Asia, 19(2), 146–165.
Vo, T. K. A., Pang, V., & Lee, K. W. (2018). Teaching practicum of an English teacher education programme in Vietnam: From expectations to reality. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 3(2), 32–40.
Vo, T. K. A., Pang, V., & Lee, K. W. (2020). Evaluating Vietnam’s pre-service English teacher education program for technology integration in education. Computer-Assisted Language Learning - EJ, 21(3), 8–22.
