READINESS

In a recent study, many countries recommended the 'work from home' setup due to
the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 (Bates, 2020). The suspension of face-to-face
classes and shifting to online learning can disrupt if teachers and students are not
ready for the change. In Kenya, they followed the directive to close the school before
the end of the term in 3 weeks. The teachers and students had insufficient time to
complete their syllabus and assessments. This proves that the teachers and
students require training to enhance their skills in using online learning platforms
(Pete & Soko, 2020). When teachers are well-prepared before diving into online
teaching, it is safe to assume that the new teaching method will be effective and
avoid disruption.
There are many issues teachers may encounter in online teachings, such as having
insufficient technical facilities, lacking clearness and rules, and poor technical skills
(Joshi, Vinay, & Bhaskar, 2020). The online setup is significant, and this pandemic
shows that the HEIs, or Higher Education Institution, and teachers are not yet
prepared to conduct online teaching. (Mahesh, 2020; Azevedo et al., 2020).
According to Joshi, Vinay & Bhaskar (2020), universities and colleges must have a
technical department that will aid and train the teachers on how to resolve technical
issues. There shall be financial support provided to teachers, e.g., interest-free loans
so that they will be able to purchase laptops, cameras, microphones, etc. that will
make them well-equipped in online teaching.
According to Moralita and Oducado (2020), the faculty is split on whether or not they
support online education. They also acknowledged that online education's
technology is difficult to handle, and that there is a high degree of depersonalization
as well as more academic dishonesty such as cheating and plagiarism. Meanwhile,
the fact that the majority of faculty members in this study had a relatively stable
Internet link, and only a handful had a very stable connection, may explain their
hesitation about online education. In this study, the majority of faculty considered
themselves to have intermediate computer skills, and the majority of respondents
had no prior experience with online learning.
According to Phan & Dang (2017), as cited by Lapada et al., 2020, the major
distance learning education elements were preparation, mindset, technical
competence, time constraints, and pedagogy. In terms of web-based education,
prospective teachers in other countries such as Turkey and Thailand also showed
readiness and satisfaction (Ozturk, Ozturk & Ozen, 2018; and Akarawang, Kidrakran
& Nuangchalerm, 2015). Furthermore, the majority of the responses in a survey of
205 online faculty from higher education institutions in the United States in terms of
readiness, attitude, and ability to teach online in terms of course design, course
communication, time management, and technical aspects were rated high (Martin,
Budhrani & Wang, 2019).
As part of their preparedness for the future, it is important to understand how
educators, who are the primary facilitators of education, adjusted to this change and
what difficulties they encountered while doing so (Lapada et al., 2020). The same
study on distance education readiness found that 90% of all special education and
preschool teachers surveyed were encouraged to implement distance education
despite having a diverse student population, a lack of specialists, being home-
schooled, undergoing long medical care, staying with a group or family for a brief
period, and teaching in a private school (Fedina et al., 2017). Similarly, considering
the risks and difficulties in learning materials, pedagogy, supervision, execution, and
psychological awareness, higher education mentors display a constructive outlook
and encouragement to educate university students with special needs such as
hearing and visually disabled (Movkebayeva et al., 2018).
Schools and universities will play a vital role in this transition because they are the
ones that provide guidance and workshops for teachers to equip them with the
expertise and knowledge required for distance learning education because the
education system will prevent face-to-face communication (Lapada et al., 2020).
Teachers with more experience coping with challenging circumstances, such as
pandemics or natural disasters, are better prepared for distance learning education
(Kini &Podolsky, 2016). However, they are more likely to be of an older generation,
and as a result, are less adept at using technology. This group of teachers, in
particular, needs additional support in using online tools to deliver their lessons.
Since some specialties in the Technical Vocational Livelihood (TVL) strand have
more experience with technological teaching materials, their specialization can also
affect their preparation for distance learning education (Yunus et al., 2017).
Several research on educator preparation for online learning and teaching have
been performed. One research in Turkey found that teachers' overall technology
readiness was moderate, with no major differences in terms of technology readiness
across age and subject area, but a significant gap between technology readiness
and gender (Summak, Baǧlibel, & Samancioǧlu, 2010). In this study conducted by
Venaten (2019), the mean difference of 1.94375, with a significant value of 0.028,
shows that there is a significant difference in the preparation of teachers who have a
specialty in Computer Science and those who do not. While, in terms of years of
teaching, the mean difference of -1.25060, with a significant value of 0.001, indicates
a significant difference in preparation between teachers who have no teaching
experience and those who have been teaching for 11-20 years. The mean difference
of -0.76425, with a significant value of 0.032, also suggest a significant difference in
preparation between teachers with 1-10 years of experience and those with 11-20
years of experience.
Reference:
2231-9550-1-PB_220200716-26844-rvacym.pdf (d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net)

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towards institutional readiness and challenges. International Journal of Learning,
Teaching and Educational Research, 19(6), 127-144.
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Ventayen, R. J. M. (2018). Teachers’ Readiness in Online Teaching Environment: A

Case of Department of Education Teachers. PSU Journal of Education,
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Faculty Perception toward Online Education in a State College in the Philippines during the
Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Pandemic by Rome Moralista, Ryan Michael Oducado :: SSRN

Moralista, R., & Oducado, R. M. (2020). Faculty Perception Toward Online

Education in Higher Education During the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19)
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http://www.asianjde.org/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/454
Joshi, A., Vinay, M., & Bhaskar, P. (2020). Online Teaching amidst COVID-19 in
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http://www.asianjde.org/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/483
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