Teachers’ Perception Towards Online Learning

During COVID-19 Pandemic

-Yogitha Karthik & Gargi Chaturvedi

Guru Nanak College of Arts, Science and Commerce,

Sion, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

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 Teachers’ perception towards online learning

Abstract

India, among other countries in the world, was greatly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
To curb the epidemiological impact, and the spread of the virus, multiple lockdowns were
imposed and schools and colleges were shut. As a result, educators faced a classic adaptive
transformational challenge that changed the conventional/traditional methods of teaching. This
compelled the teachers to adapt new modes for delivery of (lecture) content which they were
not equipped with. Accessibility, affordability, flexibility, and reduced face-to-face connection
between professors and students were among the numerous drawbacks of distant learning and
online classes. This exposed a vast digital gap and failure to get enough resources, support, and
time to adjust to the unexpected transition. In this paper, we tried to understand the perspectives
of the teachers towards online learning which was achieved by analysing 109 responses by
conducting a survey through Google form. The findings of the research focused on four primary
domains: Technical support, accessibility of resources, challenges, assistance, and teacher
motivation. It was found that the majority of the teachers were satisfied with the access to
online learning resources for planning modules, and sharing the same with learners. However,
there was limited evidence of dissatisfaction in relation to the technical support and assistance
provided to them.

Keywords: COVID-19, teachers, online learning, access to e-learning resources, motivation,

challenges.

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1.1 Introduction

COVID-19 was declared as a global pandemic in March 2020 by WHO, which had a significant
impact on all walks of life, including schooling. Following the guidelines laid out by World
Health Organization (2019) such as social and physical distancing, the Government of India
decided to impose a state-wide lockdown as a preventative measure. As a consequence,
indefinite closure of educational institutions was the only choice available (Martinez, 2020)
which posed significant challenges from kindergarten to tertiary level (Edsource, 2020).
According to a report from UNESCO, there are about 290.5 million students who have been
affected across the globe. Besides this, in India, 247 million students enrolled in elementary and
secondary schools have been affected by the closure of 1.5 million schools owing to the
pandemic and lockdowns in 2020 (UNICEF, 2021).

This problem has brought to light a number of flaws and inequities in our educational
institutions, ranging from a lack of access to the bandwidth and computers required for online
learning, to the lack of supportive surroundings required to focus on learning, to a mismatch of
resources and needs (Schleicher, 2020). On the flip side, online education has resulted in
increased time and space flexibility, easy and rapid sharing of study material, quick feedback,
and more freedom to connect with faculty (Khan et al., 2020), reduced transportation and
financial costs, improved teachers' and students' technological skills (Kim, 2020), and increased
the convenience and comfort of learners (Aithal and Shubhra Jyotsna, 2016).

Prior to this pandemic, online resources were regarded as supplemental resources in the
education system, whereas in-person classes were regarded as the primary source of teaching and
learning (Lockee, 2021). This situational demand has tested the readiness of academic
institutions to deal with such an abrupt crisis (Almahasees, Mohsen & Amin, 20201) and lack of
familiarity with distance education (UNESCO, 2020) with the implementation of this new
method of online classes, it has been most difficult for professors, who are also straining to learn
this new teaching approach.

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Several obstacles arose during the adoption of this new mode of delivery, including a lack of
internet and smartphone connectivity in rural areas, a lack of experience and understanding
among faculty in conducting online classes (Bao, 2020), insufficient technical assistance, and a
lack of engagement among students and teachers, challenges for students with special
educational needs, and more extended screen time. This may lead to a negative attitude among
teachers toward virtual modes of interdisciplinary learning. (Golden, McCrone, Walker & Rudd,
2006).

As a result, the importance of this study lies in determining general perceptions of teachers about
online classes in comparison to face-to-face classes in order to assess its benefits, limitations, and
obstacles. It is critical to understand the viewpoint of teachers because if they are dissatisfied as
educators and deem the online mode to be unsatisfactory, the educational foundation will be
weakened. In the present study, teachers from various educational institutions across India were
polled for the survey, which included primary, secondary, and degree college teachers.

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1.2 Literature Review

In addition to measurable economic impacts in the short and long term caused by COVID-19,
there is an intangible collapse in educational institutions (Basilaia & Kvavadze, 2020). The
sudden pandemic required teachers to immediately make changes in the mode of teaching, so
they are faced with the need to conform to online learning (König et al., 2020). The following
part summarizes past research on virtual learning obstacles and educational technology in
general.

Learning technologies are not innovations that intrinsically generate learning; rather they are
catalysts that, when used well, can enable high engagement, active learning, authentic
assessment, and links between schooling and life (Dawley & Dede, 2014). A study conducted in
December 2020 investigated the teachers' perception of online English language learning. It
employed a descriptive design with a qualitative approach and found that the participants showed
a positive perception of the usefulness and ease of online learning systems during pandemic
Covid-19, but more than half of teachers didn’t agree on its effectiveness (Rahayu & Wirza,
2020).

Along similar lines, a study was conducted revealing the perceptions of primary school teachers
of online learning in a program developed in Indonesia called School from Home during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of the research revealed four primary themes: instructional
techniques, difficulties, assistance, and teacher motivation. This study adds to the growing
domain of research about how online collaborative learning between instructors, parents, and
schools affects student performance. Overall, the readiness of technology in line with the
national humanist curriculum, as well as support and collaboration from all stakeholders,
including the government, schools, teachers, parents, and the community, determined the success
of online learning in Indonesia during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Aliyyah et at., 2020).

Another study revealed that teachers believe online teaching can enhance their knowledge and
also the working hours (Dubey & Singh, 2020). Their research result stated that the teachers are
implementing online teaching positively and actively involved in enhancing students’ future

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during the lockdown period and young teachers are more actively participating in online teaching
because of being more familiar with the technology.

On the contrary, studies also found that the teachers have suffered stress from having to adapt (in
record time) in order to provide online classes during the lockdown (Besser et al., 2020). This
stress has often been accompanied by symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance as
a consequence of the increased workload resulting from home teaching (Ozamiz-Etxebarria et
al., 2007). In a study conducted in Spain at the beginning of the pandemic, teachers also reported
having workloads, psychosomatic problems, and exhaustion (Prado-Gascó et al., 2020).
Moreover, it has also been found that working from home using Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) can create feelings of tension, anxiety, exhaustion, and decreased job
satisfaction (Cuervo et al., 2018), and in times of a pandemic these were the only tools that were
available to teachers.

The results of a study by Diningrat et al., 2020 indicated that the crucial barriers in the
emergency of online teaching were limited connection and bandwidth, lack of students’ active
participation and feedback, computer viruses, quality of material and online assessment.

Supporting the above body of past research, we can say that online learning can indeed be a
solution to the difficult pandemic condition like today, although it cannot be denied that there are
many obstructions faced in the learning process as stated by Windiarti et al., 2019 that the
teaching obstructions by using internet learning devices are the teachers’ unfamiliarity of
utilizing e-learning, time management, students’ motivation, internet quota fee, and network
falters. Apart from these technical constraints, teachers are required to be able to develop
models, strategies, methods, and skills in online learning. This really requires creativity from
teachers to always upgrade their scientific knowledge in order to be able to create learning
products needed by students.

These barriers must be overcome immediately in order to maximize the learning outcome such as
by providing adequate facilities, giving training to the teachers in utilizing online media for

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teaching. Online learning must be carefully prepared so that the learning outcome remains the
quality as it should (Nashir & Laili, 2021).

2. Methodology

2.1 Research design

The teachers' perceptions of online classes (during COVID-19) in Maharashtra were studied in
this paper. To collect the opinions, the underlying motivations and reasonings of the respondents,
this study used a qualitative survey approach. The survey was designed via Google Forms and
distributed among teachers using Whatsapp Groups and other social media platforms at the end
of the 2nd semester of 2020.

2.2 Data collection

Primary data was collected by using a survey method through purposive sampling technique. The
study's respondents were the school teachers, the higher secondary teachers, and the degree
college teachers from Maharashtra's institutions, representing various academic fields such as
math, science, commerce, and humanities. The survey consisted of 16 questions divided into 4
sections based on the literature relevant to the purpose of the research i.e. to understand the four
themes of the research namely
i. accessibility of resources
ii. the support received by the teachers
iii. the challenges they faced
iv. teachers’ motivation.

The questions regarding the four main themes were answered on scale, ranging from strongly
disagree to strongly agree. The survey data were collected from 109 participants from 7th August
2021 to 19th August 2021.

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2.3 Sample

The descriptive data of demographic characteristics, including gender, years of teaching

experience, and the subjects they teach is presented in Table 2.2.

Table 2.3: Profile of Participants

Frequency %

Gender

Female 95 87.2

Male 14 12.8

Years of teaching experience

1-5 years 12 11

6-10 years 22 20.2

11-15 years 32 29.4

16-20 years 19 17.4

20 years and above 24 22

Class currently teaching

School 19 17.4

Higher Secondary 23 21.1

Degree 67 61.5

Subjects

Humanities 40 36.6

Math & Science 37 33.9

Economics & Commerce 11 10

Languages 28 25.6

PE, Arts, Dance, & Music 17 15.5

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3 Findings

The study adopted descriptive research methods for the analysis of the obtained data, and its
findings focused on four main domains as highlighted in figure 1.

Figure 1: shows the 4 themes along with their sub themes that were identified to gauge the
overall perceptions of teachers towards online learning during COVID-19.

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3.1 Teacher’s view on support received

Table 3.1: Satisfaction with the support available to assist the use of e-learning

Satisfaction with the Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

support received disagree agree

I was provided with technical 2.8% 3.7% 8.3% 63.3% 22%

assistance whenever needed.

I received adequate and appropriate 4.6% 7.3% 18.3% 54.1% 15.6%

e-learning training.

I was provided time for attending e 4.6% 9.2% 14.7% 50.5% 21.1%
learning training opportunities.

I was given adequate time to 4.6% 9.2% 14.7% 50.5% 21.1%

incorporate e-learning into teaching
and learning.

N= 109

Table 3.1 shows that the majority of the teachers seemed to be satisfied with the technical
assistance that they received whenever needed. More than 50% of the teachers were also
satisfied with the amount of time they were given to learn and incorporate e-learning into their
teaching methods. However, 6% of the teachers seem to be dissatisfied with the assistance
available, which points to the drawbacks and scope for improvement. Despite this; overall, we
find the lecturers to be satisfied with the support received to assist them in their use of e-
learning.

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3.2 Access to online learning resources

Table 3.2: Lecturers’ satisfaction with access to e-learning resources

Access to resources Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

disagree agree

I have access to sufficient 1.8% 1.8% 7.3% 62.4% 26.6%

resources to plan, research,
and prepare lessons.

I have sufficient resources 1.8% 4.6% 9.2% 60.6% 23.9%

to share course materials
with learners.

I have sufficient resources 1.8% 7.3% 13.8% 65.1% 11.9%

to monitor and assess
learners’ progress.

I have access to sufficient 2.8% 6.4% 13.8% 62.4% 14.7%

resources that I can use for e
learning whenever wished in
the classroom.

N= 109

Table 3.2 shows that more than 60% of teachers were either completely or moderately satisfied
with the number of resources they received and were able to access them to deliver their
lectures. However, almost 10% percentage of responses indicated dissatisfaction in terms of not
having sufficient resources to use in the classroom whenever wished or to monitor learner’s
progress.

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3.3 Teachers’ motivation

Table 3.3: Teachers’ overall motivation to use online learning

Teacher’s motivation Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

disagree agree

Students' participation 1.8% 0.9% 5.5% 30.3% 61.5%

increases my motivation to
teach.

I am technologically challenged; 22% 49.5% 10.1% 15.6% 2.8%

therefore, I get demotivated to
take online lectures.

There is an increase in the 15.6% 48.6% 18.3% 10.1% 7.3%

workload, which demotivates
me to take online classes.

My motivation to teach has 3.7% 2.8% 16.5% 53.2% 23.9%

increased because with adequate
practice and support, I have become
comfortable with teaching online.

N= 109

Table 3.3 throws light on the motivation level of teachers. More than 90% of the teachers feel
motivated by student participation. More than 50% of the teachers disagreed with their
workload increasing and agreed with the increase in their motivation levels provided they get
adequate practice and support. This shows an overall positive attitude of the teachers.

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3.4 Challenges to online teaching

Table 3.4: Challenges faced due to the shift from offline to online modes of teaching

Challenges to online teaching Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

disagree agree

E-learning is too time- 11.9% 37.6% 22% 25.7% 2.8%

consuming to learn and use.

My work-life balance is 6.4% 33% 19.3% 31.2% 10.1%

disrupted since online learning
has begun

Inaccessibility to good internet 5.5% 17.4% 22% 39.4% 15.6%

connection and other
technological barriers interrupted
smooth conduction of lectures.

Online learning made teaching 3.7% 16.5% 22.9% 48.6% 8.3%

subjects with practical
application more difficult.

N= 109

Table 3.4 represents the main challenges and obstacles faced with the introduction of online
classes in respect to technical difficulties, student participation, and its overall impact on the
teaching experience of the teachers. 37.6% of the lecturers disagree, 25.7% agree and 22% are
neutral to online learning being time-consuming to learn, and difficult to use. This, therefore,
indicated a fairly distributed view of the challenges faced by the teachers, with an inclination
towards the disagreement. The same can be said about the work-life balance disruption.
According to 23% of the teachers increase in difficulty in conducting lectures for application-
based subjects impacted the smooth delivery of the lectures.

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4. Discussion

The present study focused on determining general perceptions of teachers about online classes
in comparison to face-to-face classes. E-learning problems, learner engagement with
information technology tools in e-learning, and learner satisfaction with online learning are
some of the concerns reported by the teachers.

The results indicated that the majority of respondents were satisfied with the access to online
learning resources for planning, researching, formulating modules, and sharing the same with
learners. There was limited evidence of dissatisfaction in relation to the technical support and
assistance provided to them. We can further infer that providing adequate support for lecturers,
particularly in terms of allowing them ample time to develop and embed their use of e-learning
in their everyday teaching practice, could be a crucial enabler for growing the use of e-learning
in higher education. Above findings are in line with a study by Rasmitadila (2020), which also
emphasized that development of materials requires time, effort and focus from teachers.

As noticed in the results section above, it was observed that the degree to which professors
believed they had adequate access to e-learning resources and support was related to a positive
attitude. Although these are not shown to have a cause-and-effect relationship, it appears that
the interrelationships between use, motivation, and access interact in a multi-directional
manner, reinforcing each other either positively or negatively. Hence, we can infer that,
teachers can be highly motivated provided the complexity of instruction necessitates them
speedily overcoming hurdles in virtual classrooms. This is supported in a study by Ramitadila
(2020), which indicated that support received from school and headmasters in terms of funding,
availability of learning facilities and infrastructure ensured that all teachers are able to carry out
instructions with enthusiasm.

From the responses, we understand that the participation of students and adequate practice have
a positive impact on the teachers’ motivation. The findings are consistent with the findings of
Nambiar (2020) and Orhan & Beyhan (2020), who discovered that one of the crucial areas for
teacher and student satisfaction with online learning is interaction between them. Students'
involvement was critical to teachers' satisfaction.

Teachers faced several challenges related to the emergence of obstacles associated with
technical issues. Problems can arise if these technical obstacles cannot be overcome and mean

14
that student participation in learning is not optimal. This is supported by findings of a study
(Diningrat et al., 2020), which indicated that the critical difficulties in the emergency of online
teaching were inadequate connection and bandwidth, computer viruses, material quality, and
online evaluation.

As a result, some students cannot follow the lessons and experience delays in completing an
assignment that the teacher gives. This is supported by the responses recorded in the current
paper since most of the teachers agreed that the inaccessibility of a good internet connection
and increased difficulty in conducting lectures for application-based subjects impacted the
smooth delivery of the lectures.

5. Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the education system all over the world. Although online
education is only a temporary solution during the pandemic, it has resulted in the creation of a
new vulnerable population; teachers. The past research emphasized the viewpoint of teachers,
since, if they are dissatisfied as educators and deem the online mode to be unsatisfactory, the
educational foundation will be weakened

This study focused on determining general perceptions of teachers about online classes in
comparison to face-to-face classes and adds to the body of evidence supporting online learning
to be fairly difficult. To effectively implement e-learning in India, infrastructure improvements,
improved Internet access, and a shift in student and teacher attitudes are among other things that
are required. It is recommended that further research should be undertaken to understand
student’s perspective and to do a comparative study with the teacher's perspective.

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7. Appendix

Table 7: Teacher Survey

Satisfaction with the support received

I was provided with technical assistance whenever needed.

I received adequate and appropriate e-learning training.

I was provided time for attending e-learning training opportunities.

I was given adequate time to incorporate e-learning into teaching and learning.

Access to resources

I have access to sufficient resources to plan, research, and prepare lessons.

I have sufficient resources to share course materials with learners.

I have sufficient resources to monitor and assess learners’ progress.

I have access to sufficient resources that I can use for e-learning whenever wished in the classroom.

Teacher’s motivation

Students' participation increases my motivation to teach.

I am technologically challenged; therefore, I get demotivated to take online lectures.

There is an increase in the workload, which demotivates me to take online classes.

My motivation to teach has increased because with adequate practice and support, I have become
comfortable with teaching online.

Challenges to online teaching

E-learning is too time-consuming to learn and use.

My work-life balance is disrupted since online learning has begun

Inaccessibility to good internet connection and other technological barriers interrupted smooth
conduction of lectures.

Online learning made teaching subjects with practical application more difficult.

20