Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Research in Education, Teaching and Learning, 2024
Year: 2024
DOI:
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A Mixed-Method Investigation into Post-Pandemic Hong Kong Secondary School English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers’ Reflection on Emergency Remote Teaching
Yan Tsoi Lam
ABSTRACT:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong secondary school English teachers, like many of their international counterparts switched to emergency remote teaching (ERT). It is undeniable that the pandemic has transformed language learning for good. Previous studies mainly focused on the challenges practitioners faced during the ERT and the various e-tools used for ERT. This study aims to bridge the gap between ERT experiences and the post-pandemic classroom through discovering how new knowledge and skills learnt from ERT can be applied to current face-to-face teaching and transform practices. This paper presents a mixed-method analysis of six English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ reflections on their ERT experiences and explores potential transformative practices for the post-pandemic ESL classroom. Drawing on quantitative survey data and qualitative data from interviews and reflective journals, this study delves into the complex challenges encountered by teachers during their ERT. Themes revealed include enhancement in IT skills, teaching pedagogy innovation, the assessment challenge and catering for diversity. These findings have implications for teacher educators and in-service teachers on post-pandemic frontline practitioners’ instruction methods and how language education transformation can happen through reflection and professional development.
keywords: emergency remote teaching; English as a Second Language (ESL); post-pandemic education; teacher education; transformative practices