Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal

ISSN: 1835-9795 (Print), ISSN: 2475-9686 (Online)

Volume 17, Issue 1, 2024
https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-9795/CGP/v17i01/35-51

Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs about Their

Future Teaching due to Their Massive
Online Learning Experience

Adva Margaliot, Achva Academic College, Israel

Received: 11/02/2022; Accepted: 05/05/2023; Published: 08/18/2023

Abstract: This study sought to identify changes in preservice teachers’ beliefs toward steps they should
take in future online teaching based on their massive emergency online learning experience during the
pandemic. The data were collected from 378 respondents after one semester of emergency remote
learning, via a combined qualitative and quantitative questionnaire. Findings indicate moderate levels of
belief both for themselves as learners and for their future online teaching goals. The higher level of beliefs
about the latter suggests that emergency remote learning positively influences beliefs about future online
teaching. Responses to the questionnaire, based on cognitive orientation theory and the system of dynamic
personality change, yielded five beliefs about actions required in future online teaching: mediation of

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meaning, flexibility, entrepreneurship, applying social–humanistic approaches, and diversity as
constructing learning. This article’s uniqueness lies in identifying five teaching actions that must be related
to future teaching–learning structures. These actions intertwine and constitute a dynamic open system that
both undergoes internal changes and maintains reciprocally influencing contact with the environment.

Keywords: Beliefs about Future Online Teaching, Cognitive Orientation, System of Dynamic Personality
Change, Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT), Teacher Education

Introduction

Teaching and learning with digital tools has become an integral part of education and has been
the subject of much research (e.g., Ertmer, Ottenbreit-Leftwich, and Tondeur 2015; Koehler
and Mishra 2009; Tondeur et al. 2017). This has resulted in a growing number of academic
courses studied online. The COVID-19 pandemic imposed an immediate worldwide transition
to emergency remote teaching (ERT), thus shaking education systems and teacher education
institutions alike. Although digital platforms were already being used, new adjustments were
now required. Basic concepts such as a physical learning space, the class as a social unit, teacher–
student relations, lesson planning, and disciplinary issues underwent a dramatic change. It is
reasonable to assume that this change will impact the future of teaching, learning, and
assessment worldwide (Arnou et al. 2020; Charissi, Tympa, and Karavida 2020).
When reality changes, so do teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning. The change in
beliefs is linked to the reality of the participants’ experience, affecting their motivation to take
steps that promote learning, in general and online learning, in particular.
The aim of this study, which took place some seven months after the COVID-19
outbreak, is to extract the changes in the beliefs of preservice teachers (PSTs) toward online

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learning and toward future online teaching and compare those to studies examining such
beliefs during the non–COVID-19 period.
We begin by presenting online learning studies conducted prior to the pandemic and the
beliefs affecting willingness to engage in this kind of teaching–learning. We then review the new
components that emerged in studies on ERT. Our study applies Kreitler’s theory of cognitive
orientation (Kreitler 2004) and system of dynamic personality change (Kreitler 2019) to trace the
changes in PSTs’ beliefs toward the ERT they experienced and toward their future online teaching.

Conceptual Framework
Online Learning and Teaching before the Pandemic

In recent decades, digital tools for education have been developing rapidly. Koehler and Mishra
(2009) proposed a framework that relates to knowledge teachers need in order to plan
technology-based teaching. They claimed that optimal planning of teaching relates to effective
integration of content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and technological
knowledge (TK). However, the large number of studies and the accessibility of innovative

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digital tools for many lessons did not sufficiently contribute to effective online teaching–
learning (e.g., Banas and York 2014; Tondeur et al. 2017; Vrasidas 2015). Studies suggest ways
to improve effectiveness via better planning and management of online teaching–learning.
Optimal planning must be consistent and coherent, with a clear statement of learning objectives
and the resources supporting it. There must be transparency about activities, tasks, digital tools,
and final learning outcomes. Seifert, Feliks, and Kritz (2020) found that students prefer to work
in small groups while maintaining focused communication with the lecturer, thus having a
sense of visibility and social presence. Martin, Wang, and Sadaf (2020) mention twelve
facilitation strategies lecturers use in online learning to improve the sense of presence,
communication, and involvement in students’ learning.
Two studies addressing the impact of PSTs’ experience of the integration of technology
into teaching–learning and their willingness to implement online teaching–learning in the
future are presented. These studies indicate the connection between PSTs’ willingness and
beliefs about the implementation of online teaching–learning in the future.
Stein, Gurevich, and Gorev (2020) traced the attitudes of a group of mathematics PSTs toward
teaching with digital tools at two points during their training and at a third point, three years post
graduation, as novice teachers. The results indicated that novice teachers believed that integrating
technology into their teaching facilitates their pupils’ learning and understanding. Most of the
barriers experienced by the participants as PSTs decreased considerably, and with three years’
experience, they had gained much self-confidence in their ability to teach mathematics using
technological tools. Margaliot (2018) explored the initial experience of teaching–learning in an
online course on the practice of online collaborative learning. The study identified the steps the
lecturer took to support group work. The findings showed that these steps and the course structure
helped participants construct knowledge on their own, despite difficulties during the process.

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Beliefs Affecting the Willingness to Learn and Teach Online

Studies dealing with the integration of technology into education (e.g., Ertmer 2005; Ertmer,
Ottenbreit-Leftwich, and Tondeur 2015; Margaliot and Gorev 2020a, 2020b; Stein, Gurevich,
and Gorev 2020; Tondeur et al. 2015, 2017; Yadegaridehkordi et al. 2018) indicate two kinds
of obstacles: first-order obstacles, which are derived from external factors, such as lack of time,
technological ability, or the skills required to plan and manage to teach effectively, and
second-order obstacles, which are internal factors derived from limiting beliefs about the use
of technological tools in teaching–learning and the degree of openness to change and
willingness to integrate a range of pedagogies.
Relating to teachers’ beliefs about the integration of technology in teaching, Tondeur
defines them as follows:

Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs are also observed to be strong predictors of their

educational uses of technology. Specifically, it seems that teachers select
technological applications that align with their existing beliefs about “good
education.” Beliefs can be defined as psychological understandings, premises, or

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propositions felt to be true. (2020, 1)

In other words, according to Tondeur, when there is a match between teachers’ pedagogical
beliefs and the use of technology, there will be greater satisfaction with the teaching and
learning. Abuhassna et al. (2020) studied the factors affecting higher education students’
satisfaction with online learning. Factors found to significantly contribute positively to
satisfaction with online learning are prior experience of distance learning, ability to learn
collaboratively with peers, quality of interaction with the lecturer, degree of autonomy,
degree of understanding and performance of tasks, and academic achievements.
In their study on lecturers’ integration of technology in teacher education colleges,
Avidov-Ungar et al. (2018) found that beliefs about teaching in a technological environment
match how they teach. Lecturers who prefer to teach frontally tend to limit technology
integration, compared to lecturers who support constructivist learning, which can benefit
from the advantages of technology-based learning. Lecturers in this latter group are good at
integrating technology into their teaching, whether it is online, hybrid, or face-to-face.
Lehmann (2021) adds that PSTs’ beliefs about their ability to study on their own predict
their ability to succeed in teaching in a way that connects CK, PK, and pedagogical content
knowledge (PCK), and, thus, he claims it is important that they experience teaching–learning
in complex situations and connect knowledge of different types to be able to overcome any
limiting beliefs that prevent them from doing so.
When there is a dramatic change in the teaching–learning conditions, it is reasonable to
assume that there will be significant changes in the learners’ beliefs about their ability to
make the effort required of them. These changes are also evident in the beliefs of learners and
teachers that affect the actions they must take in order to promote learning.

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Challenges in the Move from Physical Learning to ERT

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic forced education systems to provide an immediate
response to the crisis. Bozkurt et al. (2020) studied the teaching and learning that took place
during this period. They suggested that practices for times of emergency that differ from the
planned activities of remote education have developed and are known as ERT. The essential
differences derive from the fact that the planned practices are selected and anchored in theories of
education, while ERT practices are unplanned and born of necessity. Regarding teaching and
learning in higher education institutions, Sutton and Jorge (2020) note that most teachings before
the pandemic were lecturer-centric teaching rather than learner-centric learning. As a result,
lecturers lacked the skills for coaching and mentoring, principally, attention to emotional
learning, active learning, learning through enjoyment, and cultivating intrinsic motivation.
Bozkurt et al. (2020), Secundo et al. (2021), and Sharma (2020) all mention the challenge in
ERT stemming from the high level of responsibility the learners must take upon themselves for
their learning as well as the tremendous effort from teachers, students, parents, and principals—
in addition to finding creative solutions to the problems that arose. Rather than the digital tools,

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it was often the lack of planning, coordination, communication, and management that made
things difficult. The educational activities that effectively softened the first wave of the pandemic
were collaboration and sharing among institutions and individuals, and support communities
and mechanisms offering financial, emotional, and pedagogical support.
Charissi, Tympa, and Karavida (2020) relate to the resilience needed in response to
challenges in times of crisis. Following Goti (2016) and Hatzichristou, Adamopoulou, and
Lampropoulou (2014), they define resilience as a conceptual construct reflecting a person’s
ability to cope with undesirable life situations and to adapt positively to external challenges
and threats while maintaining a decent level of mental and psychological health. Freund,
Zriker, and Sapir (2021) also define resilience as the ability to cope with challenges such as
those posed by the pandemic and note that there is a consistent correlation between the
psychological resilience of students and the professional functioning of teachers that
influence their sense of belonging to the school, teachers, friends, and community.
Sutton and Jorge (2020) suggest that the way to prepare learners to cope with a future that
can be defined as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) is to develop skills and
abilities that will also be required to succeed in education alongside emotional intelligence
skills; learning and innovation skills; and information, media, and technology skills.

Opportunities for Effective Future Online Teaching

Dhawan (2020) notes that the opportunities for the future teaching–learning lie in the scope
of innovation in the digital space, in the construction of flexible programs, and in the ability
to strengthen the skills of problem-solving, independent thinking, and adaptability.
Wraae and Walmsley (2020) and Secundo et al. (2021) add the importance of educating for
entrepreneurship, that is, taking steps, applying teaching methods, and focusing on activities

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that integrate the pedagogical approach, values, and beliefs that guide the educators’ work.
Educators’ entrepreneurial behavior is expressed in their ability to renew, invent, create, cope
with challenges, and derive enjoyment from the uncertainty and complexity (VUCA) in their
work. With these traits, they can develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities their learners will
need to become entrepreneurial themselves. Even before the pandemic, Koehler and Mishra
(2019) added a kind of knowledge that relates to context. Context knowledge (XK) is the
knowledge that allows teachers to act, to change the teaching and learning methods using
technological tools that are constantly being updated, and to help other teachers develop.
As mentioned, the pandemic highlighted the need for ongoing changes to the teaching–
learning environment. This calls for the examination of the changes in beliefs affecting
existing and future teaching patterns. Kreitler’s (2019) system of dynamic personality change,
presented next, makes it possible to identify the correlation between objective changes in
conditions and changes in subjective beliefs.

Dynamic Personality Change System

Kreitler’s (2019) system defines personality as a developing and open system. Its dynamic

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aspect affects the adjustment to changes. In fact, the framework we refer to as “dynamic
personality change” oscillates between maintaining equilibrium among existing personality
traits and changes in personality structure resulting from environmental experiences and
from learning. This oscillation explains the complexity of the change process. The following
are the four components of the system.

▪ Biological—Genetics determines physiology, but there are always influences from

and on the environment.
▪ Emotional—There are various theories about the intensity and nature of the emotional
component. The common clusters are those containing positive emotions, negative
emotions, or active emotions. It is likely that there are also individually shaped clusters
of emotions, such as family, social, romantic, and career emotions.
▪ Cognitive—The cognitive system consists of contents and processes dealing with
generating, identifying, storing, retrieving, explaining, and organizing content, for
example, analyzing, drawing conclusions, and evaluating. Cognition deals with
complex mental activities such as decision-making, problem-solving, invention, and
creation of new procedures or structures.
▪ Behavioral—Behavior that goes beyond the satisfying of immediate needs is
influenced by ascribing meaning according to the referent it is intended for, to goals
and norms as well as to motivation.

Between Current and Future Online Teaching Based on CO Theory

Cognitive orientation (CO) theory is a theoretical approach to motivation, which enables

predicting, understanding, and changing behavior. The fundamental assumption of CO is that

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every act is a function of basic motivation and of the behavioral program that implements it
(Kreitler 2004). CO theory was found suitable for the development of a multidimensional
questionnaire measuring the gap between the beliefs of PSTs about their actual online learning
and their future online teaching. Predicting behavioral change through CO uses a vector
defined by four types of beliefs: beliefs about self; beliefs about how things happen; beliefs about
a desirable state; and beliefs about goals (Margaliot 2012; Margaliot and Gorev 2020a, 2020b).
The beliefs do not refer directly to the behavior in question but rather its underlying meanings.
The underlying meanings identified may be considered motives shaping the individual’s
behavior. Thus, the CO approach enables the assessment of learners’ motivation to engage in
online learning–teaching, without explicit reference to the behavior measured. The underlying
assumption is that behavior is not based on rational, conscious decisions and thus provides an
insight into the basic dynamic of the behavior measured, in this case willingness (the basic
motivation) to engage in online teaching–learning (Margaliot 2012).

Research Question and Hypotheses

We hypothesize that there will be a significant difference between PSTs’ beliefs about their

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ability to suddenly learn online, as required during the pandemic, and their beliefs regarding
their goals as future teachers teaching online.
In order to examine the hypothesis, we used the CO questionnaire to elicit the beliefs
composing intrinsic motivation to experience online learning and toward future online
teaching. In addition, we used the system of dynamic personality change (Kreitler 2019),
which makes it possible to map factors affecting the change from a systemic viewpoint. The
two variables we used in the CO questionnaire are (1) “beliefs about myself as an online
learner” and (2) “beliefs about my goals for future online teaching.” The reason for this is
that in this study, we focused on examining the impact of the massive experience of online
learning on beliefs about what actions will be required in future online teaching.
Through the following questions, we examine the participants’ beliefs about the
differences and the connection between their experience of online learning and their aims
for future online teaching:

1. What is the level of PSTs’ beliefs about “myself as an online learner” and about “my
goals for future online teaching”?
2. What are the differences in the beliefs about “myself as an online learner” and “my
goals for future online teaching”?
3. Will there be a correlation between the level of beliefs about “myself as an online
learner” and about “my goals for future online teaching”?
4. How are the components of the system of dynamic personality change expressed
within the participants’ learning experience?

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The research hypotheses are as follows:

▪ H1: There will be a difference in PSTs’ beliefs between “myself as an online learner”
and “my goals for future online teaching.”
▪ H2: There will be a positive correlation between the variable “myself as an online
learner” and the variable “my goals for future online teaching.” In other words, as
the belief in “myself as an online learner” strengthens, so too will the belief in “my
goals for future online teaching.”

Methodology
Participants and Settings

The participants were 378 students at a teacher education college who experienced the sudden
move to online learning during the pandemic. Of these, 82 percent were women. Nearly half
the participants (53%) were in their second year of degree studies, and about one-third (34%)
were studying for their BA and teaching diploma. The average age of the participants was 32.

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Their average teaching experience was five years.

Data Collection

The data were collected online during the first semester of the 2020 to 2021 academic year
via an anonymous online questionnaire combining qualitative and quantitative
methodologies in a cross-checking format (Creswell and Piano Clark 2007).
The research questionnaire contained two parts:

▪ Part 1: A closed quantitative questionnaire based on CO theory containing

questions to be answered on a five-point Likert scale. Based on the structural
framework of existing CO questionnaires, the items developed for this study
relate to two beliefs: “myself as an online learner” (questionnaire 1) and “my
goals for future teaching” (questionnaire 2).
▪ Part 2: A qualitative questionnaire:
▫ a. Describe an experience you had during online learning that you can define
as a successful learning experience.
▫ b. Describe an experience you had during online learning which you can
define as an unsuccessful learning experience.

The two parts of the questionnaire were constructed in parallel—the online learning
experience that the participants underwent versus the future challenge of teaching online. To
measure willingness for online learning, new statements were worded for each of the two
beliefs (see Appendix). Since this involved building a new questionnaire, factor analysis was
performed, and reliability of internal consistency was tested for each questionnaire. The
questionnaire on beliefs about “myself as an online learner” consisted of sixteen statements,

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with a variance of 61.12 percent, and had a high level of internal consistency (α = 0.89). The
questionnaire on “my goals for future teaching” also consisted of sixteen statements, with a
variance of 53.93 percent, and had a high level of internal consistency (α = 0.87).
In order to validate the questionnaire, a stepwise regression for predicting goals in future
online instruction was performed.

Table 1: Stepwise Regression for Predicting Goals in Future Online Teaching

Step Variable Units β t F R2
Gender 1 = male, 0 = female 0.077 2.05*
I 5.01** 0.03
Age Years –0.078 –2.04*
II Myself as an online learner 0.736 19.88*** 138.79*** 0.54
Note: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001

Table 1 shows stepwise regression. The background variables gender and age predict 3
percent of the explained variance, that is, the level of the men’s belief in goals in online
teaching is higher than for women, and as age increases, the level of goals in online teaching
decreases. The background variables, seniority in teaching and diagnosis as a learning

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disability, have no significant effect. The dominant variable found is “myself as an online
learner,” which explains 51 percent of the explained variance of the model.
The qualitative part contained two open-ended questions: “describe an experience of
online learning you consider optimal” and “describe an experience of online learning you
consider unsuccessful.”

Ethics

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the College of Education. Participants
were told that completing the questionnaire was voluntary and that their anonymity would
be preserved. The questionnaire was delivered via Qualtrics, so responses were transferred
directly to an SPSS file, with no possibility of identifying the respondents. Moreover, the
researchers have no way of locating the respondents.

Data Analysis

The quantitative analysis of the answers to the CO questionnaire includes calculations of

range, mean, and standard deviation. In addition, a pairing t-test was conducted to examine
differences between variables and a Pearson coefficient to test their correlation.
The qualitative analysis involved content analysis of the statements’ predetermined
categories, representing the four components of Kreitler’s (2019) system of dynamic
personality change: biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. This analysis was
performed to characterize the beliefs relating to actions required in future online teaching.

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Findings

This section first presents the findings of the quantitative questionnaire based on CO theory
relating to beliefs about the online learning experience and about goals for future online
teaching. This is followed by a presentation of the analysis of the responses to the open-ended
questions in which PSTs related to successful and unsuccessful online learning. These questions
were sorted according to the four components of the system of dynamic personality change.

Findings from the CO Questionnaire

Examination of the PSTs’ responses shows that they chose “often true” for most of the statements
in both questionnaires (see Appendix). Four statements revealed unexpected results regarding
their online learning ability. Over half the participants claim that in online learning they try to
get the best out of themselves (65%). About half claim that it is important for them to interact
with others during online learning (46%). About one-third of the participants claim that in online
learning they find it hard to develop their curiosity (31%). Nearly half the participants feel that
the direct contact with the lecturer in online learning does not give them an opportunity to

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improve their learning skills (46%). In the second questionnaire, addressing their aims for future
online teaching, three statements revealed unexpected results. Most participants claim it is
important to them that their future pupils will be able to get the best out of themselves (97%),
that when they become teachers, their pupils will be able to ask them questions during the online
lesson (89%), and about half the participants believe that online learning will prepare their pupils
for the world of work according to twenty-first-century skills (52%).
Table 1 shows the levels of beliefs about “myself as an online learner” and about “my
goals for future online teaching,” the range, the standard deviation, and the reliability of each
questionnaire.

Table 2: Descriptive Statistics of the Research Variables

Variable Respondents Range Mean SD Reliability
Myself as an online learner 378 4.94–1.06 3.19 0.75 0.89
My goals for future online teaching 378 4.94–1.19 3.51 0.56 0.87

Table 2 shows that the level of the variable of beliefs about “myself as an online learner”
was moderate (3.19 on a scale of 1–5), as was the level of beliefs about “my goals for future
online teaching” (3.51 on a scale of 1–5).
The following table presents the comparison between the students’ beliefs about “myself
as an online learner” and their beliefs about “my goals for future online teaching.”

Table 3: Coupled t-Test Comparing Research Variables for All Participants

Variable Respondents Average SD t
Myself as an online learner 378 3.20 0.75
–11.87***
My goals for future online teaching 378 3.52 0.56
Note: ***p < 0.001

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Table 3 shows a significant difference between the research variables in that their level of
belief in their goals and wishes for their future online teaching was significantly higher (M =
3.52) than their level of belief in their own online learning (M = 3.20, t(377) = –11.87, p <
0.001). Considering these findings, the first research hypothesis is confirmed.
Table 4 shows a significant strong positive correlation between the research variables of
“myself as an online learner” and “my goals for future online teaching.”

Table 4: Pearson Correlation between the Research Variables

Myself as an online learning
My goals for future online teaching 0.718***
Note: ***p < 0.001, n = 378.

In other words, the higher the level of belief in “myself as an online learner,” the higher
the level of belief in “my goals for future online teaching.” Considering these findings, the
second research hypothesis is confirmed.
Findings from the Qualitative Questionnaire
We now present the content analysis of the PSTs’ written responses according to the four

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components of Kreitler’s (2019) dynamic personality theory.

Table 5: Statements Suited to the Components of the Dynamic Change Theory

Theory Component Statement Numbers
1. An optimal lesson is one accompanied by technological aids such as sketches, clips,
experiments…
2. You can’t ask questions because of the noise from the other windows and there is a
Biological Component
limited time for the lesson. If I don’t understand, I don’t ask again, but I try to catch the
(Learning Environment)
lecturer afterward on WhatsApp, which doesn’t always work.
3. Every lesson I see and hear the members of the lecturer’s household and the renovations
of the neighbors.
4. Distance learning made me frustrated and angry, and mainly I feel totally unconnected
to my learning and to the topics we are studying.
Emotional Component
5. Surprisingly, the experience was fulfilling, effective, and I felt my time was not being wasted.
6. The lack of personal and considerate connection between lecturers and students
7. Each participant shares what they prepared for the lesson according to the lecturer’s
instructions. In other words, the lecturer had introduced a topic; everyone had prepared
the subtopic they were responsible for and taught it to the rest of us. The lecturer added,
made comments, improved it, and so on.
8. When I made a presentation to a small group, the experience was interesting because I
Cognitive Component
could use all kinds of aids and “effects” that I had planned ahead of time, which would
not have happened so easily in a physical classroom.
9. I had an opportunity to go back and listen to the lesson recordings and work on the bits
I missed or didn’t understand during the synchronous lesson and thus to understand them
better, hear them again and again until I understood the topic.
10. The lecturer recommended a website you can edit into a format of independent
learning. It made my whole project process highly organized.
Behavior Component 11. I feel as if I’m rushing to try to understand what the lecturer is explaining. I didn’t
internalize the topics I was learning. It was all forgotten, and that’s a shame.
12. I could advance at my own pace while keeping to the guidelines and submission dates.

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The biological component relates to the academic learning environment. The pandemic
required a move from regular, organized learning to sporadic structures within a flexible
schedule, where the physical site of learning, the school or the campus, closed, and teachers
and students had to move online. Respondents’ comments indicate a state of uncertainty and
the search for ways to handle themselves in the transition from a familiar routine to one in
which prior habits, norms, and study methods no longer apply and new study habits must be
adopted. Some of the students testify to their success, while others mention their inability to
move to online learning environments.
Regarding the emotional component, increased pedagogical training for caring, affection,
and empathy is needed, as these will remain essential after the pandemic and also as preparation
for any future crises. Online learning led to efficiency for some of the respondents, saving time
(both travel time and the time spent on independent or group work). For others, it caused
frustration and lack of knowledge of how to conduct themselves and how to manage their time
and their learning. The lack of communication with other learners led to worries and tensions.
For the cognitive component, learners must trust their ability to effectively use
technological platforms through which they can make connections and develop cognitive

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and social skills. All together, these provide new opportunities to build knowledge
infrastructure and a network of connections that will release them from their dependence on
physical infrastructure and on the lecturer as the source of knowledge.
Regarding behavior, the lecturer should plan a flexible lesson outline, leaving room for
students to take the initiative, create and act independently, and responsibly lead the learning
with a suitable pace and style.

Discussion and Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic and the move to ERT around the world, the expectation of future
crises, and the value of online learning have clarified the need to prepare future teachers for
optimal online teaching. In other words, they must be trained for the new kinds of teaching–
learning and the activities required to execute them.
The research questionnaires, based on CO theory, examined beliefs about the experiences
of online learning and about future online teaching.
Examination of the participants’ beliefs, based on CO theory, revealed that the prevailing
response to both questionnaires was “sometimes true.” A comparison of the results deviating from
these answers shows that the importance attributed to getting the maximum out of their pupils
matches the importance they attribute to getting the maximum out of themselves as online
learners. Furthermore, as PSTs, they felt that the connection with the lecturer in the online setting
did not enable them to ask questions and thus did not allow them to improve their learning skills.
In contrast, as future teachers, their goal will be to show empathy and allow their pupils to ask
questions and thereby improve their learning skills. These findings concur with those of Dhawan
(2020) and of Martin, Wang, and Sadaf (2020) regarding the future of education.

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The results indicate a higher and significant level of beliefs about “my goals for future
online teaching.” The difference in the level of beliefs in their abilities during the experience
itself and the level of beliefs in the goals of future teaching indicates an initial stage of
building beliefs relating to future online teaching as an integral part of their work.
The findings indicate the positive impact of the experience of ERT on building beliefs
about future online teaching, which Abuhassna et al. (2020) and Lehmann (2021) also found.
Examination of the findings of the questionnaire based on CO theory together with the
analysis of the statements in accordance with the system for dynamic change enables
exploration of the developing beliefs toward online learning and teaching following the
experience of emergency remote learning.
The beliefs about future online teaching led to the conceptualization of five actions that
must be included in the planning of future teaching:

▪ Mediation of Meaning—an action by the lecturer/teacher to promote intrinsic

motivation for learning through a clear understanding of the learning goals. The
learners are partners in planning of the lesson and in deciding on the manner of the

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learning. Thus, they will be able to receive help from colleagues or experts when
creating a consolidated learning product of their own through activities that lead to
meaningful learning.
▪ Flexibility—planning of teaching will constitute a flexible guideline that will enable
dynamic adjustments to the time frame, the content, the type of interactions, and
the provision of appropriate emotional support for the students.
▪ Entrepreneurship—planning teaching that leaves room for the entrepreneurship of the
partners to the learning in order to maintain a high academic level and also to adopt
innovative digital tools and resources outside the immediate learning environment.
▪ Implementing Social–Humanistic Theories—promoting collaborative learning and
developing effective communication among the learners in preparation for their
future world of work based on teams that manage joint projects.
▪ Diversity as Constructing Learning—developing cognitive social and emotional
skills that take into account the diversity among the partners to the learning as a way
of addressing the content they are dealing with from different perspectives.

Examples for lecturers who wish to integrate teaching activities according to our
recommendations are as follows. These actions can be embedded into the course as part of the
teaching, as part of the learning, or as an assessment assignment. The socio-humanistic approach
to learning can be implemented by building teams that perform tasks, where each student has
a defined role in promoting teamwork. The task includes a relevant challenge or a project that
is carried out so that the team members divide clear tasks among them. This is according to their
abilities and preferences, thus allowing for diversity to construct learning. The role of the
lecturer is to mediate the meaning of the project and its contribution to the students. The
students receive a list of projects, from which they choose which one to carry out. They manage

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the execution of the project at all its stages, which allows them flexibility and opportunities for
the initiative. The lecturer supports and accompanies the learning, performs a formative
evaluation of the products, and helps to examine the project in the process and on completion.
As we presented in the theoretical background, articles on online learning environments
before the pandemic indicated the need to be flexible, to create transparency about the
learning goals (e.g., Banas and York 2014; Seifert, Feliks, and Kritz 2020; Tondeur et al. 2017;
Vrasidas 2015), and to promote entrepreneurship and innovation (Mishra 2019). It further
emerges that when there is a match between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and the use of
technology, there is an increased willingness to perform the tasks required for online
learning. This match led to understanding the meaning of the learning assignments
(Abuhassna et al. 2020; Lehmann 2021; Tondeur 2020).
The current study adds to the findings from prior research, in that it maps out the successes
and failures experienced by the participants in massive online learning. From these findings, we
extracted the beliefs about the actions that will have to be taken in future online teaching.
The future teaching actions that emerged combine flexibility, mediation of meaning,
entrepreneurship, creating a learning and communicating group, and giving value to learner

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diversity as something that builds learning. These are teaching actions that will change
according to circumstance.
The uniqueness of the current study lies in its identification of five teaching actions that
must be related to in future teaching and learning structures. These actions are intertwined
and constitute a dynamic open system that both undergoes internal changes and maintains
reciprocally influencing contact with the environment. This system is in a constant state of
change, where even when there is a balance between its components, the belief guiding the
teaching actions is that this balance is temporary and will be followed by change until a new
balance is reached.

Acknowledgment
I would like to thank my colleague Dr. Dvora Gorev for her meaningful and professional
contribution to this research and manuscript.

Informed Consent

The author has obtained informed consent from all participants.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

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Appendix: Statements in Each Questionnaire

Myself in Online Learning (Questionnaire 1)
1. I try to get the most out of myself in online
learning.
2. In online learning, it is important for me to interact 2. In online learning, it is important for me that my
with other learners.
3. I do not manage to develop independent thinking
with online learning.
4. I don’t feel comfortable in online learning, because
I miss the interaction with other learners.
5. In online learning, I strive for others to appreciate
my contribution.
6. In online learning, I feel tension while learning
with others.
7. In online learning, I can develop critical thinking.
My Goals and Wishes for Future Online Teaching
(Questionnaire 2)
1. It is important to me that in the future my pupils will
get the most out of themselves.
pupils will interact with their classmates.
3. It is obvious to me that my pupils will not be able to
develop independent thinking with online learning.
4. In online learning, my pupils might not feel
comfortable, because they will miss the interaction with
other learners.
5. In online learning, it is important that my pupils strive
for others to appreciate their contribution.
6. In online learning, my pupils might feel tension while
learning with others.
7. In online learning, my pupils will be able to develop
critical thinking.

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8. In online learning I can ask the lecturer questions. 8. When I am a teacher, my pupils will be able to ask me
questions in the online lesson.
9. I have difficulty developing my curiosity in online 9. My pupils will have difficulty developing their
learning. curiosity in online learning.
10. In online learning I am a partner in constructing 10. In online learning my pupils will be partners in
new knowledge. constructing new knowledge.
11. In online learning with others I have difficulty 11. In online learning my pupils will have difficulty with
with problem-solving. problem-solving.
12. In online learning I feel I am advancing my 12. In online learning my pupils will feel they are
personal interests. advancing their personal interests.
13. My learning difficulties are felt in online learning. 13. My pupils’ learning difficulties will be felt in online
learning
14. In online learning, I can rely on the work of others 14. In online learning, my pupils will be able to rely on
in my group. the work of others in their group.
15. In online learning I have an opportunity to 15. In online learning, my pupils will have an
improve my learning skills through direct contact opportunity to improve their learning skills through
with the lecturer. direct contact with me.
16. I feel that online learning prepares me for teaching 16. I feel that online learning will prepares my pupils for
according to 21st-century skills. the job market according to 21st-century skills.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adva Margaliot, PhD: Senior Lecturer, Head of the Science Education Department,
Faculty of Education and Leadership, Achva Academic College, Beer Tuvia, Israel
Email: adva.margaliot@live.achva.ac.il

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