Understanding the Effects of Digital Transformation During Covid-19 on Teachers’ Practice and Beliefs

Hajeej Alhawsawi; Sajjadllah Alhawsawi; Osman Gany Sadeck

doi:10.17485/IJST/v16i29.58

Article

Understanding the Effects of Digital Transformation During Covid-19 on Teachers’ Practice and Beliefs

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Indian Journal of Science and Technology

DOI: 10.17485/IJST/v16i29.58

Year: 2023, Volume: 16, Issue: 29, Pages: 2217-2232

Original Article

Understanding the Effects of Digital Transformation During Covid-19 on Teachers’ Practice and Beliefs

Hajeej Alhawsawi¹, Sajjadllah Alhawsawi^2*, Osman Gany Sadeck³

¹Department of Early Childhood Education, Taif University, University College, Alkhurma, 21985, Saudi Arabia
²English Language Department, College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin
Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Prince Mutib Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdulaziz Rd, 11481, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
³Department of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Faculty of Education, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Western Cape, Highbury Road Mowbray, P. O. Box 652.,Cape Town, 8000, South Africa

*Corresponding Author
Email: [email protected]

Received Date:09 January 2023, Accepted Date:19 May 2023, Published Date:03 August 2023

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Objective: To study university teachers’ practices and beliefs using technology in a digitally transformed environment during the COVID-19 event. Methods: Quantitative data collection methods were used (surveys) and were supported by qualitative data (interviews). The study period spanned May 2020 to November 2020 at a small rural Saudi Arabian institution faculty (n=100), where the sample size used was n=37. The sample was all practising teachers of both genders and different academic positions in the faculty. Interview data were analysed qualitatively, and the survey data were analysed statistically using the SPSS package. Findings: The study provides insights into an approach that allows for richness in investigative studies in the social sciences. Many studies relating to Covid-19 do not fully address the WHY question regarding technology adoption and use. As such, this study drew on theories of change, social cognitive theories, policy implementation theories and Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK). This paper found that behaviour is changeable and predicated on personal as well as social and professional environmental factors (primarily linked to Covid-19 institutional policy pressures). Teachers’ beliefs about the perceived value (Pvalue = 0.015; 0.007 & 0.047) of using technology alongside their self-efficacy beliefs (P-value = 0.025) correlate positively with practice. There were no significant differences in knowledge, use, and attitudes across gender, age, or position. The data highlighted an increased use of constructivist, connectivist and instructivist methodologies (P-value = 0.024; 0.040 & 0.035) during COVID-19, which could be attributed to the affordances of technologies in online engagements and teachers’ evolving pedagogical beliefs. Novelty: The limitations of techno-centric approaches to engagement with technology deny the human factor. This article uses a theoretically grounded approach to show how digitally transformed practices influence teachers’ attitudes/behaviours.The research outcome shows that although research suggests that behaviours and attitudes/beliefs are difficult to change, events and policies dynamically challenge and alter behaviours.

Keywords: Policy; Covid19; Technology; Pedagogy; Belief; Attitude

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Copyright

© 2023 Alhawsawi et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Published By Indian Society for Education and Environment (iSee)