A sudden pedagogical shift amid COVID-19: a case study of TEFL students experiences transitioning to online learning

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a global pandemic, evolved in 2020, transformed humans' lives and educational systems abruptly. The unforeseen outbreak forced educational institutions to shift from the conventional face-to-face setting to an online learning mode as a solution to maintain access to learning. Thus, the current research study attempted to investigate the impact of the imposed transition to online learning on students enrolled in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program at a private university in Armenia. The participants of the study were first and second-year Master's degree and Certificate program students. The researcher implemented a case study approach with a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. While the quantitative data was gathered through an online survey administered to TEFL students (n=43), the qualitative data was obtained through one-on-one interviews with three TEFL professors and 18 TEFL students. The data were analyzed concurrently, revealing the overall experiences and an in-depth understanding of multiple cases in the TEFL community. The results elucidated a mix of positive and negative attitudes and perceptions towards online learning and fieldwork (practicum and internship). Additionally, the findings demonstrated the challenges learners encountered (accessibility, motivation, participation, responsibility, communication, and mental health) and the coping strategies they employed to overcome the barriers. The results shed light on the practicality of online learning during COVID-19 and the pedagogical choices to consider for future online pedagogy practice.