Investigating English Language Teaching Policies for Online Courses at an Iranian Language Institute
One of the first steps toward improving online English language courses should be exploring and understanding the educational policies that shape them. Accordingly, the present study examined 191 educational guidelines and plans which were issued during the COVID-19 pandemic at a well-known Iran...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin,
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jmrels.journals.ikiu.ac.ir/article_3283_38fd4ee7ed05970232c7a25895c5f564.pdf |
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| Summary: | One of the first steps toward improving online English language courses
should be exploring and understanding the educational policies that shape
them. Accordingly, the present study examined 191 educational
guidelines and plans which were issued during the COVID-19 pandemic
at a well-known Iranian language institute in order to identify the main
concerns of the institute policymakers, as well as the shortcomings of the
online language classes. This was done through applying qualitative
content analysis to these documents. The emerging themes revealed that
the focus of the institute policymakers was mainly on supporting
teachers’ and learners’ technological literacy. On the other hand, some of
the guidelines which were issued in response to the teachers’ questions
and requests indirectly revealed their concerns, thereby highlighting the
shortcomings. These revealed that online teacher training can be more
efficient by supporting online teachers beyond mere technology literacy
support, and with more emphasis on effective technological pedagogical knowledge. Moreover, online teachers could play an influential role in the decision-making, development, and teaching of online courses. Recognizing their key role and providing them with more support, freedom, dignity, and respect can lead to an improvement in teacher soft skills, such as patience and empathy with students in times of crisis.
Furthermore, enhancing the motivation, job satisfaction, and overall wellbeing of teachers is expected to similarly promote student engagement and improve their performance. |
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| ISSN: | 2676-5357 |