Virtual Mathematics Education during COVID-19: An Exploratory Study of Teaching Practices for Teachers in Simultaneous Virtual Classes

Abstract

The current study has aimed to identify the status of teaching mathematics in simultaneous virtual classes, in the light of the Covid 19 pandemic, by uncovering the teaching practices in the fields of lesson planning, teaching the new mathematical knowledge, classroom management, and raising the level of interaction, and that of evaluation. The descriptive approach was used in this study, and a random sample, which consisted of 385 mathematics teachers in the Qassim Education Department, was chosen during the first semester of the academic year 2020/21. The questionnaire was the tool used to collect the data after confirming the validity and the reliability thereof. The results of the study showed that the status of teaching mathematics in simultaneous virtual classes in the light of the Covid 19 pandemic was at a high level (3.80/5), according to the respondents' point of view. The results were respectively as follows: planning "high" 3.87; teaching new mathematical knowledge high "3.81"; the evaluation at a high degree of 3.80; and class management, as well as raising the level of interaction at a high degree of 3.67. The results of the study have revealed that there is a discrepancy in some practices, a matter which requires the identification of the training needs of mathematics male and female teachers in the field of e-learning in virtual classes, such as diversifying the methods of receiving students' responses to activities (chatting - WhatsApp --... etc.); the use of electronic participatory learning strategies in building and organizing the work of cooperative learning groups, employing electronic communication applications in providing reinforcement and feedback to students, employing electronic sports activities in presenting the lesson, and by using virtual engineering tools, while solving mathematical problems.