Page 415 - Drobnič Janez, Pelc Stanko, Kukanja Gabrijelčič Mojca, Česnik Katarina, Cotič Nastja, Volmut Tadeja. Ur. 2023. Vzgoja in izobraževanje v času covida-19. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
P. 415
Students’ Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in an Online Environment
pandemic, i.e. their attitudes towards changed working conditions in relation
to direct teaching. Such student observations are important since they can
be the basis for further improvement of online teaching, but also a possibility
for new strategies for developing their competencies as future teachers who
could be in a position to implement online teaching.
In relation to the importance and need for digital education of future
teachers, as well as their readiness to adequately and timely respond to
online teaching conditions, the aim of our study was to examine students’
opinions and experiences related to various factors and conditions in which
teaching took place, i.e. in an online environment during the pandemic.
The study sample involved students in the final year at the Faculty of Edu-
cation in Užice, who presented opinions and personal experiences through
interviews in focus groups. The justification for such an approach lies in the
fact that focus group interviews require a qualitative methodology that can
contribute to the acquisition of a large amount of information from students,
information that is related to the research subject and is the result of their
perspective and personal experience. We were guided by the fact that fo-
cus group interviews allow more in-depth data, insights and experiences of
respondents (Cohen, Manion, and Morrison 2007). In relation to the goal of
the study, we applied a flexible protocol on which the discussion was con-
ducted. The discussion included topics focused on factors and conditions of
online teaching, as follows: (1) previous experience with online teaching be-
fore the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) technical conditions under which students
worked in the online environment, (3) possessing and adapting the neces-
sary digital skills to work in online teaching, (4) communication and inter-
action with teachers and colleagues, (5) self-efficiency, motivation, attention
and concentration in learning in the online environment, (6) assessment dur-
ing online teaching and assessment of knowledge after online teaching, and
(7) assessment of one’s own training for the implementation of digital teach-
ing in future professional work.
The interviews were conducted through two focus groups equalized by
the age of the students (fourth year students of the undergraduate academic
studies of the study programme class teacher). The first group consisted of
11 students and the second group consisted of 12 students.
Research data processing. The products of the interviews were recorded
as raw data and then transcribed. After that, a thematic analysis was per-
formed, in which the products of the discussion were classified within the
topics and repetitive and higher frequency sub-topics were identified. Cod-
ing units stood out as sentences or group of sentences students used to de-
415
pandemic, i.e. their attitudes towards changed working conditions in relation
to direct teaching. Such student observations are important since they can
be the basis for further improvement of online teaching, but also a possibility
for new strategies for developing their competencies as future teachers who
could be in a position to implement online teaching.
In relation to the importance and need for digital education of future
teachers, as well as their readiness to adequately and timely respond to
online teaching conditions, the aim of our study was to examine students’
opinions and experiences related to various factors and conditions in which
teaching took place, i.e. in an online environment during the pandemic.
The study sample involved students in the final year at the Faculty of Edu-
cation in Užice, who presented opinions and personal experiences through
interviews in focus groups. The justification for such an approach lies in the
fact that focus group interviews require a qualitative methodology that can
contribute to the acquisition of a large amount of information from students,
information that is related to the research subject and is the result of their
perspective and personal experience. We were guided by the fact that fo-
cus group interviews allow more in-depth data, insights and experiences of
respondents (Cohen, Manion, and Morrison 2007). In relation to the goal of
the study, we applied a flexible protocol on which the discussion was con-
ducted. The discussion included topics focused on factors and conditions of
online teaching, as follows: (1) previous experience with online teaching be-
fore the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) technical conditions under which students
worked in the online environment, (3) possessing and adapting the neces-
sary digital skills to work in online teaching, (4) communication and inter-
action with teachers and colleagues, (5) self-efficiency, motivation, attention
and concentration in learning in the online environment, (6) assessment dur-
ing online teaching and assessment of knowledge after online teaching, and
(7) assessment of one’s own training for the implementation of digital teach-
ing in future professional work.
The interviews were conducted through two focus groups equalized by
the age of the students (fourth year students of the undergraduate academic
studies of the study programme class teacher). The first group consisted of
11 students and the second group consisted of 12 students.
Research data processing. The products of the interviews were recorded
as raw data and then transcribed. After that, a thematic analysis was per-
formed, in which the products of the discussion were classified within the
topics and repetitive and higher frequency sub-topics were identified. Cod-
ing units stood out as sentences or group of sentences students used to de-
415
