Understanding Teacher Challenges in Online ESL/EFL Instruction: A TPACK-Based Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1512.02Keywords:
TPACK, ESL, EFL, online teaching, intrinsic barriersAbstract
The importance of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) in online English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching has been widely confirmed in the literature. The current study aimed to examine the relevance of TPACK in addressing some obstacles within the context of online English teaching. Those challenges concern teachers' inner savvy - stress, pedagogical management and control, and the relationship and communication between teachers and students. The study inspected how different groups of teachers based on age, overall teaching experience, online teaching experience, and preparatory training for online instruction, meet the intrinsic challenges. The data was collected from 395 English teachers working in the United Arab Emirates. The findings confirmed that TPACK can only be observed as a whole for enhancing online teaching. According to the results, senior teachers faced more impediments, as did those with low online teaching experience and those without preparatory training. The challenges generated stress, anxiety, issues with pedagogical delivery and control, and ineffective communication and interaction between teachers and students. Moreover, professional development programs which build teachers' TPACK are potent in lowering those barriers, while a lack of knowledge and practice of online instruction corresponds with lower TPACK.
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