Teachers’ Perceptions of the Transition from Onsite to Online Teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Educational systems worldwide have been affected by government restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, causing the temporary closure of many educational institutions. The new condition has forced teachers to make the transition from onsite to online teaching. The current study used a descriptive method to examine online teachers’ perceptions towards online teaching during the transition to online learning at a center for foreign languages in Vietnam. The results reveal that teachers have a relatively positive perception of online teaching, although many typical problems of online teaching do present themselves and the effectiveness of online teaching does not always compare favorably with traditional classroom teaching. Teachers’ suggestions are significant for improving online teaching quality. Online teaching is highly likely here to stay and will continue to improve. The transition from traditional face-to-face classrooms to online teaching can be successfully achieved and its quality can be ensured if challenges and ways of improving online learning continue to be closely examined.