A Paradigm Shift in Teaching and Learning due to the COVID-19 Pandemic:

Areas of Potential and Challenges of Online Classes

Abstract

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the face-to-face classes were replaced by the
online classes. It is essential to explore their areas of potential and challenges from teachers’
and students’ perspectives. Therefore, the present mixed methods study attempts to disclose
the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic
in the EFL context of Iran. For this purpose, for the quantitative part, a total of 200 female
students and 25 female teachers were selected using a random sampling method. For the
qualitative part, a sample of 20 students and 5 teachers were chosen through a random
sampling method. The required data were gathered by distributing a questionnaire and
administering a focus group discussion. They were analyzed through calculating percentage
and a content analysis approach. Findings showed that the participants had mixed feelings
about online classes. Some participants preferred them as they were comfortable and they
could effortlessly learn at their speed, whereas some considered it boring due to unengaging
presentations. The analysis also demonstrated that online learning was a completely new
challenge due to the lack of reliable devices and erratic internet connection. The qualitative
findings yielded three areas of potential: flexibility, efficacy, and promoted motivation, as
well as three challenges: extra workload, lack of face-to-face interactions, and difficulty in
assessing students’ ability. Finally, based on the findings, a range of implications is suggested
for different stakeholders.