REFLECTIONS on ONLINE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES and MATERIALS USED DURING the COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

In the process of the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional face-to-face education system was transitioned to a distance education system. Undoubtedly, this significant change in the education field has affected teachers and students the most. Therefore, shedding light on the experiences of teachers and students in online classes is believed to contribute to the success of future distance education practices. For this purpose, in this study, the experiences and views of English teachers and high school students regarding the instructional technologies used in online teaching were investigated. The phenomenological design, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the study. Twenty English teachers and thirty high school students participated in the study from the schools within the research permission. A semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used in the study. The findings obtained from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis method. It was found that in the early stages of distance education, teachers and students faced difficulties in adapting to technology usage. Teachers who were interested in technology usage experienced fewer challenges in using instructional technologies and materials. Students who had internet and device access and were motivated to attend classes benefited more from online class opportunities. Students mentioned that using lesson materials that appealed to their interests would be a driving force for their participation in online classes, while teachers stated that they had to use various instructional technologies to actively engage their students in classes and, therefore, they improved their technology proficiency.