The Impact of COVID-19 on Educationists’ Preparedness to Encounter a Future Pandemic

Abstract

It is believed that pandemics such as COVID-19 affect the social, economic, and educational lives of people. Educationists and students were heavily impacted by the coronavirus and the protocols that were applied by governments. In this study, the researcher aims to investigate the preparedness of Second language (SL) educationists in higher education to encounter any pandemic breakout in the future. The study tries to investigate the SL educationists’ preparedness by answering two questions. The first question focuses on the extent to which SL educators are ready to encounter future pandemics. The second question will be: How does the COVID-19 experience affect their readiness to encounter educational challenges in teaching SL in the future? This study aims to apply a qualitative study to collect data from educationists who work for higher education in Saudi Arabia. Seven people have been interviewed to collect data to carry out this study. The results showed that the teachers are ready to encounter three domains of challenges during any future Pandemic. These domains showed that teachers can encounter technical challenges in any future Pandemic, adjust their teaching methods to accommodate online learning, and provide their students with emotional support.

1. Introduction

The coronavirus disease that emerged in 2019 (COVID-19) has spread quickly to different parts of the world. It had severely caused a huge impact on all sides of life. It has various influences on worldwide socioeconomic domains. Education was not far from the effect of COVID-19 [1, 2]. The traditional approach to education around the world utilizes the face-to-face mode, where the interaction between the learners and their teachers occurs in the same place and time. Because of the onset of COVID-19, the education system employed technical-based and online platforms to teach their students. In this phase, the learners and teachers were obliged to be in different places and sometimes at different times to teach and learn. As well, we have noticed that schools were locked and students, as part of society, were locked down in their houses. Students all over the world attended their classes remotely from home. Teachers taught their classes online, using all the possible technology to contact and teach their courses. In other words, most countries implemented online learning technologies. According to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) [3], about 1.7 billion students in educational establishments all over the world used online learning to overcome the complications of COVID-19. In fact, besides the psychological and social hardship, learners and educators encountered a number of technical-related difficulties (such as internet connection or dealing with technical faults during class time) [1].

2. Literature review

2.1 The importance of teachers’ beliefs

Nespor [4] claims that the weakly regulated nature of the numerous difficulties confronted by teachers is caused by teachers’ beliefs playing the foremost part in describing tasks and choosing approaches because beliefs can be flexibly employed to new problems. He proposed that it appears.

“likely that some crucial experience or some particularly influential teacher produces a richly-detailed episodic memory that later serves the student as an inspiration and a template for his or her own teaching practices” (p. 320).

Certainly, it looks like ‘beliefs are far more influential than knowledge in determining how individuals organize and define tasks and problems and are stronger predictors of behaviour’ ([5] p. 311).

2.2 The social cognitive theory (SCT)

The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a psychological framework that places significant emphasis on the influence of cognitive, behavioral, and social contexts on how people behave. The psychological theory, Social Cognitive Theory, was formulated by the renowned psychologist Albert Bandura during the 1980s [6]. It has gained significant recognition as a fundamental principle within the field of contemporary psychology.

The fundamental of the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is that human behavior is influenced by the dynamic interplay between individual elements, such as ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and values, and the resulting behavior. This implies that behavior is not just determined by intrinsic variables but is also influenced by extrinsic circumstances.

The Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) places significant emphasis on the concept of self-efficacy, which refers to people’s confidence in their own capability to achieve success. Based on the theoretical framework, individuals who possess a robust sense of self-efficacy are inclined to engage in demanding endeavors and demonstrate perseverance when confronted with impediments.

According to Bandura [6, 7, 8], the Social Cognitive Theory posits that the presence of self-efficacy, which refers to an individual’s belief in their capability to successfully execute a specific behavior, is necessary for the attainment of a desired outcome. Behavioral shifts as well as persistence are influenced by two key factors: the first one is the anticipated results of practicing a particular habit and the second factor is one’s perceived capability to carry out the necessary actions. Hence, self-efficacy expectations exhibit significant variability contingent upon the specific task and contextual factors [9]. Strategies targeting self-efficacy have been found to effectively mitigate feelings, such as anxiousness and discomfort, as demonstrated by Bandura’s seminal works in Refs. [7, 8].

Finally, SCT emphasizes the role of reinforcement in learning. According to the theory, people are more likely to repeat behaviors that are rewarded than those that are punished. This means that positive reinforcement is an effective way to promote desired behaviors.

2.3 Defining and measuring self-efficacy beliefs

Teacher self-efficacy has been characterized as “a teacher’s assessment of his or her own skills to achieve the intended levels of learner involvement and achievement, even among challenging or unmotivated learners’ [10]. The concept of educational beliefs is wide and for investigation reasons it has been redefined into more detailed sub-types [5]. These sub-types include beliefs about self-assurance to affect learners’ performance (teacher efficacy), beliefs about the nature of knowledge (epistemological beliefs), belief about perceptions of one-self (self-concept), and belief about self-confidence to accomplish particular responsibilities (self-efficacy). The latter is the most important type that relates to the current research.

According to Bandura [8], who defined the concept, ‘perceived self-efficacy refers to beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments’ (p. 3). Self-efficacy is specific to certain behaviors and encompasses two sections. These two sections are efficacy expectations and outcome expectations. Efficacy expectations relate to belief in individual aptitude to influence a conduct, while outcome expectations believe in that the behavior will lead to a certain outcome. As a consequence, mechanisms for the purpose of self-efficacy normally contain two methods to measure these two sections.

According to Bandura [6], self-efficacy beliefs were found in reaction to four different information. The most influential inspiration on self-efficacy is “enactive experience” in which self-efficacy for a behavior is improved by effectively doing the behavior. The second is “vicarious experience” in which other alike individuals are perceived to perform a behavior efficaciously. The third is verbal persuasion, which inspires efforts that foster efficacy through success. Fourth, physiological states such as stress may play a significant role in individual self-efficacy.

2.4 Teachers’ beliefs, practices, and attitudes towards technology

Belief systems exhibit a dynamic and porous nature, rendering them subject to modification in response to new experiential insights. In deeper consideration, the assumptions that teachers have about how to instruct and educate students might be seen as their beliefs [5]. Belief systems of individuals are shaped via their own experiences and often consist of a network of interconnected and interdependent beliefs, rather than isolated and singular ones [11]. Prior research has indicated that there is an interaction between the various ideas held by instructors [12, 13] or a combination of these beliefs with others [14]. Additionally, there is an intricate link between educators’ beliefs and practices, as well as the processes that underlie their relationships with one another [15]. Several investigations have posited that instructors possess the ability to understand the occurrences they face and subsequently determine choices regarding their methods of instruction depending on their points of view [5, 16, 17]. Consequently, their actions and routines are influenced by their individualized beliefs regarding teaching [18]. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated by several research that the presence of positive views or attitudes does not necessarily ensure the successful implementation of innovative practices [19, 20].

The teachers’ beliefs play a role in their acceptance and use of technology in their realm. A number of investigations provide evidence suggesting that the beliefs held by educators have a significant influence on how willing they are to embrace and incorporate innovative changes into their curriculum [19, 21, 22].

According to the findings of Zacharia [23], educators who possess favorable views towards computer simulations are more inclined to integrate technology into their instructional practices. In a comparable way, Stylianidou et al. [22] posited that opinions held by instructors exert a favorable impact on their implementation of innovative techniques. The instructors under study have comparable resources, although they held divergent perspectives about pedagogy and technological instruments. The authors discovered that the teachers who participated in the study exhibited diverse approaches in incorporating these tools within their teaching environments, influenced by their individual beliefs. This implies that the views of educators on new technologies can significantly impact their decision-making processes and ultimately shape the manner in which computer innovations are implemented within educational institutions. In contrast, Kriek and Stols [24] have posited that educators’ every pre-existing attitude and belief can serve as a hindrance to the integration of technology in the classroom. Furthermore, additional investigations have shown that despite the majority of educators exhibiting favorable attitudes and views towards technological advances in education, only a relatively small percentage of teachers actually put these innovations into practice [25, 26].

2.5 Challenges that teachers encountered during the COVID-19

During the COVID-19, the educators encountered a number of challenges that did not help them to perform their teaching practices in the proper way. The previous literature revealed that the difficulties that the educators encountered during the COVID-19 can be divided into three groups. The first difficulty the educator faced was the technical issues. The second one was psychological and emotional problems. The third one was the pedagogical difficulties.

First, on the level of technology, the educators have encountered problems of internet connections [27]. Because the COVID-19 suddenly spread around the world, the educators did not have enough time to get training and attend any workshop to deal with different new technologies, applications, and platforms. Such lack of training prevented teachers from choosing the proper education technologies. As well, teachers tended to use different platforms and free ones such as Google Classroom and WhatsApp [28]. Moreover, Purwanto et al. [29] investigated and have shown that educators encountered a challenge of lack of technological skills. Gurung [30] investigated the difficulties that Indian educators faced during the COVID-19. The researcher finds two technology-related reasons that prevented the Indian educators from adopting online learning. These reasons are the electricity and network supply in their areas. The second reason relates to the educators’ lack of knowledge about technology. They pointed out that it can be understood that some educators are still not able to meet the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework that works to integrate technology, pedagogy, and content.

Second, on the psychology and emotional level, the previous studies discussed two areas where the COVID-19 had an impact on the psychology and emotional state of the learners and teachers. The first area relates to the teachers’ psychological, mental, and emotional health. Concerns with COVID-19 are examined in a research conducted by Lacomba-Trejo et al. [31]. The findings revealed that educators are more likely to experience anxiety and depression and have a lower degree of happiness and resilience.

The other area that was affected by COVID-19 was the learners’ motivation and how it makes it difficult for the educators to motivate their learners. As widely agreed among the researchers, an individual who possesses a high level of motivation consistently demonstrates outstanding achievement [32, 33]. Individuals with a high level of motivation consistently exhibit loyalty and dedication towards their assigned tasks and obligations [29]. On the other hand, lack of motivation diminishes learners’ enthusiasm and hinders their ability to do well in their classroom activities and examinations [32]. Gurung [29] finds that more than half of the participants agreed that the COVID-19 lowered their students’ motivation. In other words, the study found that the educators were unable to motivate their learners in online classrooms because of a lack of human interaction and an inability to get to know them on a deeper level. Gustiani [34] states that learners’ expected motivation to acquire new information and their interest in trying out a novel teaching technique were the primary factors that kept them motivated in their online courses. Extrinsic factors like government mandates and natural phenomena also played a role in raising the level of motivation among the participants [33]. However, the researcher mentioned that deficient external resources also contributed to the phenomenon of amotivation, or the absence of motivation. Moreover, Pokhrel and Chhetri [35] maintain that during COVID-19 online learning, learners who have an intrinsic motive to learn do not have as much trouble because they do not need as much help and direction. On the other hand, learners who struggle with studying have a harder time.

Third, the COVID-19 had an impact on pedagogical practices in educational environment. This impact can be recognized via two challenges. First, through the ability of the teachers to adopt the new teaching mode. Second, through the assessment challenges that educators encountered during the COVID-19. Most governments had shut down schools, training institutions, and college and university sites as part of their shutdown and social distancing tactics in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Thus, teachers were obliged to change the mode of teaching from face-to-face mode to the online ones. The pedagogical impact of such closure appears from two sides. First, the teachers’ readiness to deal with the new online teaching method. Pokhrel and Chhetri [35] state that one of the pedagogical challenges that teachers encountered during COVID-19 was that they were not prepared to implement new changes and teach online, instead of teaching on-campus. In the same vein, Gurung [29] finds that the participants raised the same problem of adopting the online teaching during COVID-19.

3. Methodology

3.1 Qualitative paradigm

Creswell [36] confirmed that researchers consider qualitative approach to be the best approach to widen our understanding of any social environment. The qualitative approach helps us to see the targeted environment from the inside via collection of the participants’ points of view and their thoughts [37]. Thus, this study uses the qualitative paradigm to explore the aimed setting and informants and to find an answer for research questions.

The aim of this research paper is to find out the readiness of the Second language teachers (SLTs) in higher education to encounter any Pandemic and how the experience of COVID-19 plays a role in their preparedness. The study used an inductive qualitative approach for inquiry using the semi-structured interview to collect the data from seven SLTs who work in Second language institutions. The research works answer two main questions: To what extent are the Second language educationists ready to encounter future pandemics to teach Second language skills? How does the COVID-19 experience affect their readiness to encounter educational challenges in teaching SL in the future? In order to achieve this study’s aim, a qualitative research is applied. Qualitative paradigm is typically suitable to collect data from small samples. Moreover, the sample size was small due to the unique nature of the project and the aim of exploring detailed individual experiences. It is known that in qualitative studies, it is not aimed to measure and quantify the result. Its elementary advantage is to provide a comprehensive account and study of a research subject [38].

3.2 Instrumentation

Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were employed in this investigation. The interview included seven questions meant to elicit thought and discussion about what they experienced being college-level language instructors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As well as, their readiness to encounter any pandemic in the future. Interviews were recorded electronically with each participant’s permission. Respondents were made aware and ensured of their confidentiality during the entire process.

3.3 Objectives

The objectives of the research paper are:

1. To study the readiness of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers to encounter various challenges that may have occurred by a future Pandemic.

2. To study how COVID-19 pandemic has changed teachers’ attitudes towards online learning.

3. To study the level of technical-related teachers’ preparedness.

4. To study the level of psychological and emotional-related teachers’ preparedness.

3.4 Sample

Seven EFL instructors were planned to interview to collect their opinions to answer the research question of this study. These informants teach in the English Language Institute in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic (Table 1).

Participants’ information
Instructor’s name	Gender	Years of experience
Mr. Yousef	M	15
Dr Haifa	F	12
Mr. Mohammed	M	15
Mr. Raed	M	9
Ms. Wafa	F	13
Mr. Hassan	M	12
Ms. Fatimah	F	10

Table 1.

Participants’ information.

3.5 Research questions

To what extent are the Second language educationists ready to encounter future pandemics to teach Second language skills?

How does the COVID-19 experience affect their readiness to encounter educational challenges in teaching SL in the future?

4. Analysis

Thematic analysis was utilized to uncover themes and patterns and to categorize sections of information [39]. The first three transcripts were analyzed by the researcher, and a system for coding was devised. Throughout the procedure, the researcher studied the connections between the starting codes and sketched out the probable codes [36]. The researcher was conscious of the possible bias in data interpretation because he was identified as a college EFL instructor. As a result, the researcher was mindful to minimize the effect of his personal experiences, beliefs, and preferences by delivering lengthy explanations and direct quotes [40].

5. Findings

In this qualitative investigation, the thematic analysis was applied to answer the research questions. This thematic analysis explored the readiness of teachers to encounter future pandemics. The analysis revealed three main themes. The three major themes from the thematic analysis were revealed. These themes include teachers are ready for technical challenges, ready to adjust their teaching methods to accommodate online learning, and ready to provide their students with emotional support.

5.1 Ready for technical challenges

All informants interviewed addressed that although they encountered technical difficulties in their online classroom during COVID-19, they insisted that they are now having experience that may help them to overcome all the past technical challenges they may encounter in a future online classroom.

Mr. Mohammed mentioned that:

“I am now able to easily utilize technology to create virtual learning environments. I feel I am prepared to use technology to create virtual learning environments for my students. I can now effectively use different video conferencing tools, online learning platforms, and other digital tools to facilitate remote learning. These skills were not easy when I first was asked to move to online classroom during COVID-19. I think I have learnt a lot”.

In the same vein, Mr. Yousef states the same:

“I believe that I am and the other teachers here are now gain a lot of experience that will help us in the future to encounter any problem that will enforce us to teach through online technologies. Our experience during COVID-19 was difficult but provide us with all skills to use those applications and platforms.”

Both Mr. Mohammed and Mr. Yousef believe that they have all potential skills and abilities to teach under any future Pandemic circumstances. The power they have is not only depending on their technical skills as Mr. Yousef mentioned but in their belief in their abilities. This finding is in line with what previous studies proved about the connection between teachers’ beliefs and thoughts and how that affects their practices in their classrooms [12, 13, 14, 15]. In addition, the point of view of the informants above may relate to the Bandura [6] self-efficacy beliefs, in which they believe in their capabilities to deal with the courses’ needs for teaching their students in any future difficulties. This belief reflects what Bandura [6] named as “efficacy expectations and outcome expectations”, which relates to an individual’s belief in his/her ability to impact a behavior and expecting that the behavior will lead to a certain outcome. According to Bandura [8], individuals tend to develop beliefs regarding their capabilities, predict the probable impacts of future actions, establish personal objectives, and devise alternative strategies that may lead to expected benefits. Furthermore, this finding supports the finding of Refs. [19, 21, 22] which found that the beliefs held by teachers have an important impact on how keen they are to embrace and integrate advanced changes into their teaching practices.

In addition, although Mr. Raed believed that the COVID-19 experience has expanded not only the teachers’ but also the institutions’ power to face any future difficulty that obliges them to depend on internet-based classrooms. He highlighted the need for more improvement and development.

“COVID-19 has given a gigantic challenge and opportunity to the educators to be ready to face any such challenge in the future. Though likely to be tough time Educators have made significant strides in adapting to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but readiness varies widely. Many institutions and educators have improved their online learning capabilities, but universal access to technology and comprehensive teacher training remains uneven. Yet there is room for further preparedness and resilience-building to better face future pandemics.”

Mr. Raed pointed to another factor that may affect the readiness of the educationists to face a future Pandemic. He raised the role of the institution that may play a positive or negative role in staff preparedness. This point agrees with the Bandura’s Self Cognitive theory [8] that takes into consideration the outsider factors’ (e.g. Community) role to affect the self-efficacy in individuals what in turn will affect their future behavior.

5.2 Adjust teaching and assessment methods to accommodate online learning

Ms. Wafa was asked about her preparedness for any future difficulty that may oblige teachers to teach online. She stated that the previous COVID-19 era experience helped her with skills that she needs to find the suitable teaching practices and methods that help her and her learners in online learning.

“I believe that my experience that I gained from COVID-19 period will help me to be ready to adjust my teaching methods to accommodate virtual learning if necessary…”.

In the same vein, Ms. Fatimah mentions that:

“Diverse learning needs will make teaching more complicated. Fair online assessments and academic integrity will be hard to maintain. Educators have to adapt technology-based curricula and implementing flexible assessments. Education should emphasize digital literacy and adoptable curricula must be made available.”

Ms. Fatimah highlights the challenges that educators face in a pandemic era. She raised the challenge of the varied learning needs during online learning. She mentions two difficulties that a teacher may encounter. These are maintaining fair online assessments and academic integrity. To meet these challenges, she proposes that teachers must adapt curricula learning and implement flexible assessments that may suit online education.

Dr. Haifa states that:

“teachers learn a lot of skills during COVID-19. I am sure that most of the staff are now able to prepare the curricula and assessment tasks that are suitable for online learning as well as can help their learners to go smoothly during online learning.”

Dr. Haifa suggests that teachers have learned a variety of skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasizes how teachers have adapted to the changes brought about by the COVID-19. These skills include the ability to create curricula and assessment tasks learners need during online learning. This suggests that teachers have had to become more tech-savvy and knowledgeable about online learning platforms in order to be able to effectively teach their students. Additionally, it implies that teachers have had to become more creative in their teaching methods in order to engage their students in an online environment.

5.3 Provide emotional support

Teachers in the semi-structured interview have focused not only on their preparedness to apply technical tools but also on their role to support their learners psychologically and emotionally. Dr. Haifa mentions how much important it is that the teachers need to be ready to help their students and support them emotionally:

“Teachers should foster a sense of community among their students, even when they are learning remotely. This could include setting up virtual study groups, encouraging students to connect with each other online, and providing support and guidance to students who are struggling. This will help to improve learners’ psychological sates and foster their emotional feelings during a pandemic.”

Mr. Hassan pointed to the importance of supporting learners. He pointed to the difficulty of balancing teaching with the emotional and psychological support during COVID-19.

“Moreover, as a teacher, I faced additional pressures, such as balancing my professional and personal lives while working from home, addressing students’ emotional well-being during a stressful time”.

The pressures faced by teachers during the pandemic are significant and complex. This example shows that not only did they have to balance their professional and personal lives, but they also had to address students’ emotional well-being in an extremely trying time. The stress of having to juggle both roles on top of adapting teaching methods and navigating new technologies put immense pressure on teachers, which can be difficult for many people to manage successfully.

He then added that.

“The hard experience I encountered during COVID-19 provide equipped me with a further step and more knowledge about how to encourage my learners in the time they are away from my normal classroom.”

Mr. Hassan reflects his resilience and determination to continue to provide a quality education to their students, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19. It also shows his commitment to finding new ways to engage and motivate their learners, even when they are not able to be in the same physical space. The speaker’s experience has enabled them to gain a deeper understanding of how best to support their students emotionally and psychologically, and this will likely be beneficial in any future situation.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the preparedness of educationists to encounter a future Pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the need for educationists to be better prepared to respond to a future Pandemic, including the need for more resources, better communication, and improved collaboration between stakeholders. Educationists must also be prepared to adapt to the changing needs of students and families, as well as the changing landscape of education. By taking the necessary steps to prepare for a future Pandemic, educationists can ensure that they are better equipped to respond to any future health crisis.

In this paper, the findings showed that the teachers have shown their readiness to encounter all those predicted challenges they may encounter during any future Pandemic. The findings showed that teachers are ready to encounter mainly three challenges. These challenges are technical challenges, providing their students with emotional and psychological support, adjusting their teaching methods to accommodate online learning.