A Study on School-Based Teacher Collaboration in Designing and Implementing Online English Classes for University Students

This qualitative case study investigates a school-based teacher learning community’s efforts in conducting online synchronous and asynchronous English classes for college students. It analyzes English instructors’ experiences and opinions as well as students’ responses. It explores important considerations for effective online teaching in a school-based learning environment. To this end, this study conducted interviews with four college English professors who are members of the teacher learning community and gave questionnaires to 23 female college students who enrolled in College English (Listening and Speaking) during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine how satisfied they were with the online classes. The results show that students were satisfied with both asynchronous and synchronous online English classes although they reported that their workload increased for the asynchronous version. Designing and implementing the online English classes was challenging for the instructors, although the teachers reported having enhanced their expertise. Based on these results, this study makes suggestions regarding the enhancement of teacher professional development through a teacher learning community. It also provides implications for how a teacher learning community can take shape, function, grow, and impact learning, and how it can support teaching online English classes. Further research is required, particularly in regard to teacher professional development through a school-based teacher learning community.