d 1301033039
d 1301033039
e-ISSN: 2320–7388, p- ISSN: 2320-737x Volume 13, Issue 1 Ser. III (Jan. – Feb. 2023), 30-39
www.iosrjournals.org
Abstract
This research was conducted to assess teachers’ readiness to adopt the new model of online teaching and
learning at a state university in Zimbabwe during and post covid-19 pandemic. This was prompted by the fact
that most institutions of learning were forced to adopt online learning as a replacement to the traditional face-
to-face classroom model in response to persistent lockdowns without assessing their readiness from various
ways such as teachers’ and students’ readiness. The quantitative research approach was adopted and data was
collected through structured and guided questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics from SPSS were
used for data analysis. The major findings are that teachers are prepared to shift from face-to-face mode of
learning to online learning and they do possess skills required for conducting online lectures. Teachers are
developing a positive attitude towards the new norm, but more training is needed particularly on advanced
computer skills.
Keywords –Online teaching, Learning,
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Date of Submission: 27-01-2023 Date of Acceptance: 09-02-2023
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I. INTRODUCTION
Online learning is education that takes place over the internet. Often referred to as e-learning. It is one
type of distance learning which is the umbrella term for any form of learning that takes place across distance and
not in a traditional face to face classroom.(Ranganathan et al., 2021). Online learning and teaching, according to
Regmi and Jones (2020) is an educational technique that supports learning via the application of information
technology and communication, providing learners with access to all needed education programs. (Hawzhin&
Ameen, n.d.). Aminuddin Hashemi, 2021 indicated that Online teaching and lernng refers to a technique of
instruction and knowledge acquisition carried out in the educational environment using computers and
technology over the internet. (Hashemi, 2021a).
Distance learning has a long history and has taken several forms to date; and these include:
Correspondence courses that are conducted through regular mail with little interaction; Tele-courses where
content is delivered via radio or television broadcast; CD-ROM courses where the student interacts with static
computer content; Online learning which encompass internet-based courses offered synchronously and / or
asynchronously; and Mobile learning which includes learning by means of devices such as cellular phones,
PDAs and digital audio players (iPods, MPs players. Today, the most popular one is Online learning.(Hashemi,
2021a).
On 30 January 2020, the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the
outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
(PHEIC). The outbreak was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. (Pokhrel&Chhetri, 2021).
Zimbabwe announced its first confirmed case on 20 March 2020. Responding to the world-wide increase in
Covid-19 cases including neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Botswana, the Zimbabwean
government on the 17th of March 2020 announced that schools and universities should be closed on 24 March
2020 and the country shall go on lockdown from 30 March 2020.
Covid-19 has disrupted both formal and informal education across around the world.(Widodo et al.,
2020a) By April 2020 91.4% of the world’s enrolled learners was disrupted and 21.5% of Africa’s primary and
secondary school children have been out of school because of the covid-19 induced lockdowns. (Save the
children, 2020). By July 2020 98.6% of learners worldwide (1.725 billion learners) were affected by the
pandemic from pre-primary to higher education in 200 countries (Skills Development in the Time of COVID-19:
PROBLEM STATEMENT
It is against the backdrop of adopting online learning arrangements due to covid-19 lockdowns as the
choice of last resort to rescue the education system that this research seeks to assess teachers’ readiness to adopt
online learning during the covid-19 lockdown. The pre-requisites or factors from the teachers’ side to implement
online learning shall be assessed to determine their sufficiency and hence the readiness by teachers to use online
learning as a new teaching model during and post-covid-19 pandemic. Challenges encountered by teachers with
the online learning shall be explored; and their state of preparedness to adopt the induced new norm of learning
and consequential learning outcomes shall also be evaluated. Most researches have indicated that the
implementation of online learning was not supported by in-depth study of teachers’ readiness. This study, thus
seeks to assess teachers’ readiness in regard to skills for online teaching and course design, digital
communication, computer skills and capability of using learning management systems.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
To assess teachers’ readiness in regard to “online teaching and course design skills”
III. METHODOLOGY
The study has adopted the positivism research philosophy and paradigm. The quantitative research
approach was adopted and a descriptive research design was followed, with a case study of a state university in
Zimbabwe, faculty of business sciences. The guided questionnaire was used as the data collection tool.
Descriptive and inferential statistics analysis were used to identify the frequency, percentage, mean and standard
deviation of the data. The target population was the university’s faculty of business sciences academic staff. The
faculty consists of seven departments/ units; and these are accounting sciences department, Business
management department, Econometrics, risk & insurance department, Information systems & marketing
sciences department, Tourism department, Centre for entrepreneurship and Graduate school of business
leadership. All lecturers within the faculty were targeted and reached through various platforms such as emails
and official WhatsApp groups; they were thus, all given an equal chance to confidentially respond to the
questionnaire, i.e., to participate (Ratham, et al, 2016). A link to the questionnaire was created using google
forms and shared to lecturers through emails and WhatsApp groups. 70% of lecturers have participated in these
questionnaires. According to Kaisara G and Bwalya K.Z, 2020, a response rate above 20% from an online
survey is considered reasonable. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23 was used
for data analysis. Respondents were assured of their privacy and confidentiality through consent form attached
to the questionnaire indicating that the provided information can only be used for academic and research
Table 1: Descriptive statistics: Teachers’ readiness in regard to “online teaching and course design skills”
Std.
N Mean Deviation Skewness Kurtosis
Statistic Statistic Std. Error Statistic Statistic Std. Error Statistic Std. Error
ONLINE
90 1,98 ,085 ,807 1,746 ,254 4,519 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 1,92 ,118 1,124 1,030 ,254 -,179 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 2,68 ,110 1,047 ,264 ,254 -,516 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 3,04 ,159 1,506 -,057 ,254 -1,424 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 1,26 ,068 ,646 2,774 ,254 7,507 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 1,54 ,113 1,072 2,175 ,254 3,834 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 2,61 ,134 1,269 ,267 ,254 -1,035 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 3,01 ,123 1,166 -,109 ,254 -,752 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 2,22 ,119 1,130 ,409 ,254 -,693 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 1,99 ,110 1,044 ,507 ,254 -,886 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 1,58 ,088 ,834 1,647 ,254 2,985 ,503
LEARNING
ONLINE
90 3,02 ,097 0,924 -0,657 ,254 ,391 ,503
LEARNING
Valid N
90
(listwise)
Source: Primary data (2022)
Table 1: Descriptive results: Teachers’ readiness in regard to “online teaching and course design skills”
The study results are in sync with existing literature deciphered upon by Mukwevho (2018) who averred that
students’ performance has drastically gone down during online learning in part because of poor time
management given that the home environment has no restriction on what to do and when to do it.
Std.
N Mean Deviation Skewness Kurtosis
Statistic Statistic Std. Error Statistic Statistic Std. Error Statistic Std. Error
ADVANCED
90 3,54 ,119 1,133 -0,728 ,254 -,054 ,503
SKILLS
ADVANCED
90 1,47 ,076 0,722 2,134 ,254 6,565 ,503
SKILLS
ADVANCED
90 3,27 ,131 1,243 -0,381 ,254 -,887 ,503
SKILLS
Valid N (listwise) 90
Source: Primary Data (2022)
V. RECOMMENDATIONS
Institutions of higher learning education should consider replacing the traditional face-to-face classroom
model with a blended learning modelapproach. This model is cost-effective, promotes flexibility, and enhances
the accessibility of learning material to learners thus producing quality graduates that are required in industries
of today that is technologically advanced.
The study recommends that Institutions of higher learning education should invest in training the
lectures on advanced computer skills which will then lead to efficient use of computer gadgets in teaching and
learning.
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⃰Peter Bhibhi,, et. al. “An Assessment of Readiness To Online Teaching And Learning By
Teachers In Institutions Of Higher Learning. A Case Study of a State University In Zimbabwe.”
IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education (IOSR-JRME), 13(01), (2023): pp. 30-39.