Emergency Remote Teaching: The Challenges Associated with a Context of Second Language Instruction

Gregory MacKinnon; Tyler MacLean

doi:10.21432/cjlt28277

Authors

Gregory MacKinnon Acadia University
Tyler MacLean Henan Experimental High School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt28277

Keywords:

ESL, Online learning, offshore schools, COVID-19

Abstract

The pandemic of 2020 frequently necessitated that offshore school teachers continue their instruction of Chinese children in the online format rather than face-to-face back in China; a so-called emergency remote teaching response. A required change in pedagogy accompanied a range of challenges in an effort to offer quality education to English as a Second Language (ESL) students. During the fall 2020-2021 academic year, a sample of 25 teachers and 3 principals provided feedback on those inherent challenges in a mixed method study consisting of surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Factors that impacted the delivery were identified in broad categories of teacher lifestyle, hindrances with technology, teaching practice, and pedagogical support. The findings were unique in that 1) they were nested in a response to a difficult context as opposed to a carefully planned online instruction and 2) second language students constituted a different learning cohort. This work further adds to the literature by suggesting that cognitive load, self-regulation, and attentional literacy deserve careful consideration when contexts of ESL learning with technology are implicated.

This work further adds to the literature by suggesting that cognitive load, self-regulation and attentional literacy deserve careful consideration when contexts of ESL learning with technology are implicated.

Author Biographies

Gregory MacKinnon, Acadia University

Gregory MacKinnon, PhD is a professor of Science and Technology Education in the School of Education at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Serving as Chair of International Practica since 2002 has culminated in the placement and supervision of over 160 teacher interns in China. His international work extends to curriculum development in China and Caribbean nations.

Tyler MacLean, Henan Experimental High School

Tyler MacLean is the Vice Principal of Henan Experimental High School in Zhengzhou China. He has taught Social Studies and English/Language Arts in China for nine years. His master’s degrees in Curriculum and Leadership are from Acadia University in his native Nova Scotia, Canada. Current research interests include cross cultural pedagogy and leadership, online learning, and curriculum development.

References

Ackerman, C. (2021, November 25). What is self-regulation? (+95 skills and strategies). PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/self-regulation/

Aldabbus, S. (2018). Project-based learning: Implementation & challenges. International Journal of Education, Learning and Development, 6(3), 71-79.

Astuti, D., Syukri, S., Nurfaidah, S., & Atikah, D. (2021). EFL students’ perceptions of the benefits of Project-based learning in translation class. International Journal of Transdisciplinary Knowledge, 15–30. https://doi.org/10.31332/ijtk.v2i1.3

Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In Psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 2, pp. 89-195). Academic Press.

Atmojo, A. E., & Nugroho, A. (2020). EFL classes must go online! teaching activities and challenges during COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Register Journal, 13(1), 49–76. https://doi.org/10.18326/rgt.v13i1.49-76

Bailey, D. R. & Lee, K. R. (2020). Learning from experience in the midst of Covid-19: Benefits, challenges, and strategies in online teaching. Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 21(2), 178-198.

Bandura, A. (1991). Social cognitive theory of self-regulation. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 248-287.

Beaulieu, R. (2013). Action research: Trends and variations. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 14(3), 29-39. https://doi.org/10.33524/cjar.v14i3.99

Coomey, M., & Stephenson, J. (2018). Online learning: It is all about dialogue, involvement, support and control—according to the research. In Teaching & learning online (pp. 37-52). Routledge.

Dashtestani, R. (2014). English as a foreign language: Teachers’ perspectives on implementing online instruction in the Iranian EFL context. Research in Learning Technology, 22. https://doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.20142

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In Handbook of Qualitative Research; edited by Norman K. Denzin; Yvona S. Lincoln. Sage.

Famularsih, S. (2020). Students’ experiences in using online learning applications due to COVID-19 in English classroom. Studies in Learning and Teaching, 1(2), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.46627/silet.v1i2.40

Fu, W., and Zhou, H. (2020). Challenges brought by 2019-nCoV epidemic to online education in China and coping strategies. J. Hebei Normal Univ. (Educ. Sci.), 22, 14–18.

Gao, L. X., & Zhang, L. J. (2020). Teacher learning in difficult times: Examining foreign language teachers’ cognitions about online teaching to tide over covid-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.549653

Gasson, S. (2004). Rigor in grounded theory research: An interpretive perspective on generating theory from qualitative field studies. In The handbook of information systems research (pp. 79-102). IGI Global.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2017). The challenges of online learning: Supporting and engaging the isolated learner. Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), 20-30. https://doi.org/10.5204/jld.v9i3.293

Guba, E. (1981). Criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of naturalistic inquiry. Educational Technology Research and Development, 29(2), 75-91.

Gurung, R. A., Chick, N. L., & Haynie, A. (2009). Exploring signature pedagogies: Approaches to teaching disciplinary habits of mind. Stylus Publishing

Ham, J., & Schueller, J. (2012). Signature pedagogies in the language curriculum in Exploring More Signature Pedagogies: Approaches to Teaching Disciplinary Habits of Mind; edited by Nancy Chick, Aeron Haynie and Regan Gurung. Stylus.

Hodges, C. B., Moore, S., Lockee, B. B., Trust, T., & Bond, M. A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning

Huberman, A. M., & Miles, B. M. (2002). Qualitative researcher's companion. Sage.

Illmer, A., Wang, Y., & Wong, T. (2021, January 22). Wuhan lockdown: A year of China's fight against the Covid pandemic. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55628488

Kam, C.C.S., & Meyer, J.P. (2015). How careless responding and acquiescence response bias can influence construct dimensionality: The case of job satisfaction. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 512–541. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428115571894

Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A., & Santiague, L. (2017). Issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses in higher education: A literature review. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 46(1), 4-29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239516661713

Krishnan, I. A., Ching, H. S., Ramalingam, S., Maruthai, E., Kandasamy, P., Mello, G. D., Munian, S., & Ling, W. W. (2020). Challenges of learning English in 21st century: Online vs. traditional during covid-19. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 5(9), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v5i9.494

Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M.A. (2014). Focus Groups: A practical guide for applied research.5thed. Sage Publications.

Levy, M. (2009). Technologies in use for second language learning. The modern language journal, 93, 769-782. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00972.x

Lozano, A. A., & Izquierdo, J. (2019). Technology in second language education: Overcoming the digital divide. Emerging Trends in Education, 2(3), 52-70.

MacIntyre, P. D., Gregersen, T., & Mercer, S. (2020). Language teachers’ coping strategies during the COVID-19 conversion to online teaching: Correlations with stress, wellbeing and negative emotions. System, 94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102352

MacKinnon, G. & MacLean, T. (2021). Adapting to leadership in offshore schools: A case study of Sino-Nova Scotian Schools. International Journal of Education Policy & Leadership 17(1), 1-30. https://journals.sfu.ca/ijepl/index.php/ijepl/article/download/1057/287

MacKinnon, G., & Shields, R. (2020). Preparing teacher interns for international teaching: A case study of a Chinese practicum program. Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research 22(1) https://doi.org/10.4148/2470-6353.1306 https://newprairiepress.org/networks/vol22/iss1/4/

Mishra, P., & Koehler M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x

Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research and Evaluation 3rd ed. Sage Publications.

Pazilah, F. N., Hashim, H., & Yunus, M. M. (2019). Using technology in ESL classroom: Highlights and challenges. Creative Education, 10(12), 3205–3212. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2019.1012244

Pegrum, M., & Palalas, A. (2021). Attentional literacy as a new literacy: Helping students deal with digital disarray. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 47(2). https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt28037

Sari, F. M. (2020). Exploring English learners’ engagement and their roles in the online language course. Journal of English Language Teaching and Linguistics, 5(3), 349-361.

Stringer, E. T., & Aragón, A. O. (2021). Action research. 5th ed. Sage publications.

Sweller, J. (2019). Cognitive load theory and educational technology. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09701-3

Voogt, J., & Knezek, G. (2021). Teaching and learning with technology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Highlighting the need for micro-meso-macro alignments. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 47(4). https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt28150

Westberry, L., Hornor, T., & Murray, K. (2021). The need of the virtual principal amid the pandemic. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 17(10). https://doi.org/10.22230/ijepl.2021v17n10a1139

Xia, J., Fielder, J., & Siragusa, L. (2013). Achieving better peer interaction in online discussion forums: A reflective practitioner case study. Issues in Educational Research, 23(1), 97-104. https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/13284