9th International Conference on ICT for Sustainable Development

Authors - Khushboo Kuddus, Barsarani Panigrahi, Lopamudra Mohapatra
Abstract - The whole world went through a tough time during the catastropic COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in unanticipated drastic changes in almost every aspect of our lives. It brought about a remarkable change in the education system worldwide. In order to keep teaching and learning continuing amidst the complete closure and lockdown, the entire education system went through a paradigm shift, from traditional face-to-face classroom teaching to online education. This technology-enabled teaching mode of education incorporated cutting-edge technologies and software to conduct classes. As it was the only alternative to conduct classes during the pandemic, teachers, the most important stakeholders in the educational system, had no choice but to continue teaching without having any time to get ready for the change or to get trained in integrating technology into the teaching process. As a result, they experienced a lot of challenges and, at the same time, gained experience in online teaching. Considering the condition, it is pertinent to investigate the online teaching experience of ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers in order to understand their perceptions towards the efficacy of technology-enhanced language teaching (TELT) and the challenges they faced while adapting the new pedagogy of English language teaching (ELT). The study is based on a quantitative study conducted with ESL teachers of several schools in Khurda, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha, India. It has been found that the paradigm shift in teaching pedagogy due to the pandemic has made ESL teachers adopt technology-enhanced language teaching. Although certain inhibiting factors impact the integration of technology in their teaching, they are motivated to incorporate TELT and are willing to get trained in technology-integrated language learning. These challenges can further be analysed and mitigated to enhance the preparedness of the teachers for the future and help them embrace the latest developments in TELT.