Teacher Practices Towards Providing Interaction During Online Education in K-8 Settings

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate what kind of practices teachers implement to offer interaction opportunities in online education in terms of learner-learner interaction, learner-instructor interaction, and learner-content interaction. The study has been carried out with 55 English teachers who have had online lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused the closure of schools at every level until an unknown time. To collect data, a survey was implemented to English teachers who are teaching at K-8 levels and the results of the survey are analyzed quantitatively. The study has found that learner-learner interaction strategies are less implemented by the teachers in comparison to learner-content and learner-instructor interaction practices. Creating a positive learning environment is a building block for teachers to motivate learners in an online classroom setting.