Students access education with the help of a network of different technologies through distance learning. With distance learning, teachers and students do not need to be physically available in the same place. Through audio, video, and computer technology, distance learning offers students more freedom in accomplishing their academic goals. However, online settings for teaching can be beneficial, but only if the conditions under which instructors can continue to educate successfully are understood. The psychological process that activates a teacher’s actions is motivation. Along with other regulating systems, motivation acts as an external or internal driver of a teacher’s actions. Teachers are motivated to participate in Distance Education due to their ability to facilitate it as well as the freedom it provides; however, increased workload discourages them.
Teachers’ ability to establish and maintain learning initiatives is one variable that motivates them to participate in online learning. The success of Distance Education depends not only on technological advancements but also on the teacher’s attributes (Tompkins et al., 2016). The instructor’s traits also significantly impact students’ perceptions of Distance Education. The effort put by instructors to establish and maintain a specific degree of learning activities and initiatives determines the success of Distance Education (Salvador, 2021). In Distance Education, a teacher should be a facilitator to motivate and support students learning. Distance Education necessitates connection and communication between teachers and students. When it comes to instructor qualities, the instructor is vital to the success of Distance Education. The success of distance learning is determined by the instructional application of technology and not by the technology itself. Furthermore, instructors’ technical competency and attitudes toward learners can be important determinants of the effectiveness of online learning.
Moreover, teachers are encouraged to participate in Distance Education due to the freedom it provides. Teachers can comfortably prepare lessons, just as learners can watch the saved videos at their leisure (Sengil Akar & Kurtoglu Erden, 2021). School restrictions do not limit teachers from participating in online teaching, and they have more leeway in teaching different courses. Teachers plan lessons and answer questions, effectively addressing all of the advantages of classroom teaching (Lee, 2019). Additionally, there is no spoon-feeding in Distance Education because students must think for themselves and solve problems without assistance, which relieves teachers of the burden of explaining further.
Technostress, which is a result of failure to cope with technology and changes in requirements concerning the use of technology, causes psychological and physical stress to teachers. This effect demotivates teachers to participate in Distance Education (Chou & Chou, 2021). Though technology in education is recommended, numerous barriers exist, including a lack of training, insufficient infrastructure, or a lack of help from technology experts. These barriers can cause teachers to become anxious and tense, resulting in mental or physical stress due to their technology usage. Although the use of technology enhances learning, the knowledge required of instructors to use technology efficiently might result in increased workload, problems, and stress. Furthermore, when teachers are constantly attempting to keep up with the progress of technology and educational advances simultaneously, they may experience heightened stress due to this.
Teachers engaged in Distance Education encounter several pedagogical obstacles that are specific to them. Teachers find it challenging to fully communicate ideas in online learning, which lack synchronous explanations common in some academic classrooms (Apriyanti, 2020). Informal evaluations, such as facial expressions, which instructors use in traditional learning, cannot be used in Distance Education. The evaluations are used to disclose students’ degrees of knowledge and involvement. These cues may be less visible in most online learning settings, making it hard for teachers to know if learners have understood. In addition, teaching in an online environment demands teachers to shift from being the sage who leads all learning to be more of a facilitator. This shift in teaching duties and the linked paradigm transition toward constructivist teaching may provide substantial issues for online educators.
Lastly, some teachers are concerned about the disparities in student behavior between the classroom and online learning settings. Students can be divided into two groups as a result of the growth of Distance Education. This categorization involves students who intentionally pursue Distance Education as a first choice due to clear academic targets and those who have underperformed in traditional education and look to online learning to improve their performance (Darkwa & Antwi, 2021). While this grouping oversimplifies online students’ qualities and motivations, the potential diversity of people enrolled in a specific online course could cause teachers substantial worries. As a result, the online instructor must effectively handle a varied student body in an online environment.
Teachers must be motivated to participate in Distance Education since online learning is growing more popular as technology advances and becomes more accessible. As a result, whether external or internal, there is an irrefutable connection between motivation and participating in distance learning. Teachers are encouraged to take part in Distance Education since it allows them to be more flexible. Facilitating online learning among teachers would ensure that knowledge is properly delivered to students, pushing teachers to put in more effort. However, since teachers are required to use technology effectively through Distance Education, this may result in increased workload as well as stress, discouraging them from participating in online learning.
References
Apriyanti, C. (2020). Distance learning and obstacles during a covid-19 outbreak. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Dasar, 7(2), 68. Web.
Chou, H.-L., & Chou, C. (2021). A multigroup analysis of factors underlying teachers’ technostress and their continuance intention toward online teaching. Computers & Education, 175, 104335. Web.
Darkwa, B. F., & Antwi, S. (2021). From classroom to online: Comparing the effectiveness and student academic performance of classroom learning and online learning. OALib, 08(07), 1–22. Web.
Salvador, J. R. (2021). The teachers’ roles and students’ behavior in English online distance learning. EPRA International Journal of Research & Development (IJRD), 89–101. Web.
Lee, J. C.-K. (2019). Teachers’ work, change and learning: Roles, contexts and engagement. Teachers and Teaching, 25(4), 399–403. Web.
Sengil Akar, s., & Kurtoglu Erden, m. (2021). Distance education experiences of secondary school math teachers during the pandemic: A narrative study. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 19–39. Web.
Tompkins, T. C., Feyerherm, A. E., & Rogers, K. S. (2016). How exemplary online teachers establish relational connections in online learning. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2016(1), 15014. Web.