Teachers’ Attitudes toward Remote Instruction during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UAE

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe that has negatively impacted people’s ability to sustain normal life after its outbreak. This virus is regarded as the greatest challenge that faces governments and civil society organizations around the globe. Educational institutions were among the first ones that took action to deal with the damages caused by the pandemic. However, some problems have prevented the progress of the online teaching process. In this study, the researcher discusses the effects of the social and physical challenges on the progress of online teaching encountered by teachers who are working from home. Specifically, the study aims to explore the social and physical factors that could influence the teaching methods teachers normally use. The study included a sample of 338 male and female teachers in Al Ain, the United Arab Emirates, who used an electronic platform as an alternative plan to share knowledge since classrooms were unavailable for use. The participants filled in a questionnaire which was distributed via social media platforms. Furthermore, the researcher studied the differences between the participants’ responses and attempted to establish a relationship between the standard deviation values and a group of variables, that is, gender, sector, and marital status. The study concluded with some recommendations to enhance teachers’ performance and help them deal with the workload without getting nervous or depressed. © Common Ground Research Networks, Khawlah M. AL-Tkhayneh, All Rights Reserved.