VietTESOL International Convention 2022
Nha Trang University, September 16-18
The Covid-19 pandemic seems to shed a harsh light on every aspect of life and affects individuals from different disciplines, and teachers are not an exception. It is widely agreed that during the pandemic, teachers, like many others, have to learn to adapt and survive in their profession. One of the obvious changes that they need to deal with is to change from the face-to-face teaching mode to the online one, which has forced them to immigrate into the "digital world" with a lot of challenges (Prensky, 2001). Some might face the trend with fear and be reluctant to change. Some might see it as the opportunities for them to develop and thrive in the new land. This case study tries to explore the ways six foreign language teachers of different generations at a foreign language university in Vietnam construct their new position as emerging digital teachers in the new era of teaching. By employing narrative inquiries and semi-structured interviews, the study reveals interesting insights into the construction of digital teachers and the underlying factors affecting their readiness for the transition. Based on such findings, some recommendations are proposed to help meet the teacher training needs and to inform policy makers regarding teacher professional development in the era and post-era of Covid-19.
Pre-recorded Session VietTESOL International Convention 2022 convention@viettesol.org.vnThe Covid-19 pandemic seems to shed a harsh light on every aspect of life and affects individuals from different disciplines, and teachers are not an exception. It is widely agreed that during the pandemic, teachers, like many others, have to learn to adapt and survive in their profession. One of the obvious changes that they need to deal with is to change from the face-to-face teaching mode to the online one, which has forced them to immigrate into the "digital world" with a lot of challenges (Prensky, 2001). Some might face the trend with fear and be reluctant to change. Some might see it as the opportunities for them to develop and thrive in the new land. This case study tries to explore the ways six foreign language teachers of different generations at a foreign language university in Vietnam construct their new position as emerging digital teachers in the new era of teaching. By employing narrative inquiries and semi-structured interviews, the study reveals interesting insights into the construction of digital teachers and the underlying factors affecting their readiness for the transition. Based on such findings, some recommendations are proposed to help meet the teacher training needs and to inform policy makers regarding teacher professional development in the era and post-era of Covid-19.