Academic engagement experiences of pre-service teachers during the Covid-19 online education process

Research Article

• Büşra Zeynep Arslan Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi iD 0000-0001-8457-9520
• Erva Bulut Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi iD 0000-0003-1172-6854
• Burcu Özcan Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi iD 0000-0002-3949-3645
• Fadime Ural Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi iD 0000-0001-5440-2740
• Funda Barutçu Yıldırım Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi iD 0000-0003-3630-1019

Published in

Volume 6, Issue 2 (2023)

Pages

315–328

Publication Date

May 31, 2023

Submission Date

March 6, 2023

Acceptance Date

May 18, 2023

Subjects

Studies on Education

Abstract

This study aims to explore the academic engagement experiences of pre-service teachers (PSTs) during the COVID-19 online education process. For this purpose, a phenomenological study was carried out with a sample of 10 PSTs studying at the Department of Foreign Language Education (FLE) at a state university in Türkiye, selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was utilized to analyze and interpret the data. The outstanding results include that there were both facilitating experiences and drawbacks of the process during online education. The facilitating experiences are related to effective learning, time efficiency, and flexibility opportunities of the process while drawbacks of the process are centered around concentration problems, stressfulness, the inexperience of instructors, lack of interaction, motivation, and socialization. Besides, the factors that increased academic engagement include keeping cameras on/off during lessons, facilitative instructors, autonomous learning, and technological facilities. On the other hand, the factors that decreased academic engagement involve keeping cameras on/off, having technological obstacles, instructors’ attitudes and teaching styles, distracting home environment, and the lack of interaction and interest. Lastly, the suggestions include using varying methods during lessons, arranging course hours appropriately, having a common course policy among instructors, and increasing student involvement in the whole process.

Keywords

• academic engagement
• COVID-19 online education
• pre-service teachers

References (29)

1. Adak, M. M., & Koç, M. (2022). COVID-19 pandemi döneminde uygulanan uzaktan eğitim sürecinde bilişim teknolojileri öğretmenlerinin deneyimlerinin incelenmesi. Uşak Üniversitesi Eğitim Araştirmalari Dergisi, 8(1), 30-45. https://doi.org/10.29065/usakead.1038646
2. Altuntaş Yılmaz, N. (2020). Investigation of students' attitudes towards applied distance education in the covid-19 pandemic process in higher education institutions: Example of physiotherapy and rehabilitation department. Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi, 3(1), 15-20.
3. Basilaia, G., & Kvavadze, D. (2020). Transition to online education in schools during a SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Georgia. Pedagogical Research, 5(4), em0060. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/7937
4. Bowen, S. (2005). Engaged learning: Are we all on the same page. Peer Review, 7(2), 4–7.
5. Chiu, T., Lin, T. J., & Lonka, K. (2021). Motivating online learning: The challenges of COVID-19 and beyond. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 30(3), 187–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00566-w
6. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
7. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & Research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
8. Çınar, M., Ekici, M., & Demir, Ö. (2021). A snapshot of the readiness for e-learning among in-service teachers prior to the pandemic-related transition to e-learning in Turkey. Teaching and Teacher Education, 107, Article 103478. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2021.103478
9. Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
10. Erarslan, A. & Arslan, A. (2019). Online learning experiences of university students and the effects of online learning on their learning practices. Language and Technology, 2(1), 44-58.
11. Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2015). How to design and evaluate research in education (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
12. Frankel, R. M. (1999). Standards of qualitative research. In B.F. Crabtree & W. L. Miller (Eds.) Doing qualitative research (2nd ed.). (pp. 333-346). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
13. Görgülü-Arı, A., & Hayır-Kanat, M. (2020). Prospective teacher' views on Covid-19 (Coronavirus). Van Yüzüncü Yıl University the Journal of Social Sciences Institute, Outbreak Diseases Special Issue, 459-492.
14. Keskin, S., Çınar, M., & Demir, Ö. (2021). A quantitative content analysis of Turkish state universities’ official websites in terms of their preparedness and actions during emergency distance education in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic period. Education and Information Technologies, 1-31. doi: 10.1007/s10639-021-10744-4
15. Laksmiwati, P.A., Adams, D., Sulistyawati, E. (2022). Pre-service Teachers’ Readiness and Engagement for Online Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Rasch Analysis. In: Al-Emran, M., Al-Sharafi, M.A., Al-Kabi, M.N., Shaalan, K. (Eds.). Proceedings of International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Intelligent Systems. ICETIS 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 299. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82616-1_29
16. Merriam, S.B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
17. Newmann, F. M., Wehlage, G. G., & Lamborn, S. D. (1992). The significance and sources of student engagement. In F. M. Newmann (Ed.) Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools (pp.11-39). Teachers College Press.
18. Ouweneel, E., Le Blanc, P.M., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2014). On being grateful and kind: Results of two randomized controlled trials on study-related emotions and academic engagement. The Journal of Psychology, 148(1), 37-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2012.742854
19. Özdoğan, A. Ç., & Berkant, H. G. (2020). The examination of stakeholders’ opinions on distance education during the Covid-19 epidemic. Millî Eğitim, 49(1), 13-43.
20. Özer, S., & Turan, E. Z. (2021). Opinions of prospective teachers about distance education due to Covid-19. Turkish Studies - Education, 16(2), 1049-1068. https://dx.doi.org/10.47423/TurkishStudies.48147
21. Özüdoğru, G. (2021). Problems faced in distance education during Covid-19 pandemic. Participatory Educational Research, 8(4), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.92.8.4
22. Patton. M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
23. Pittaway, S. M., & Moss, T. (2014). “Initially, we were just names on a computer screen”: Designing engagement in online teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(7).
24. Redmond, P., Heffernan, A., Abawi, L., Brown, A., & Henderson, R. (2018). An online engagement framework for higher education. Online Learning, 22(1), 183-204. doi:10.24059/olj.v22i1.1175
25. Sarı, H. (2020). Evde kal döneminde uzaktan eğitim: Ölçme ve değerlendirmeyi neden karantinaya almamalıyız? Uluslararası Eğitim Araştırmacıları Dergisi, 3(1), 121-128.
26. Seyhan, A. (2021). Sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının covid-19 salgını sürecinde uzaktan eğitim deneyimleri ve görüşleri. Açıköğretim Uygulamaları ve Araştırmaları Dergisi (AUAd), 7(3), 65-93. https://doi.org/10.51948/auad.910385
27. Singh, V., & Thurman, A. (2019). How many ways can we define online learning? A systematic literature review of definitions of online learning (1988-2018). American Journal of Distance Education, 33(4), 289-306. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2019.1663082
28. Statistics Canada. (2011). Definition of "Academic engagement". https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-004-x/2011004/def/academic-academique-eng.htm
29. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2011). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri (8th ed.). Seçkin Yayınevi.

This article is published under the CC BY 4.0 license.