COURSE: Issues in ELT curriculum and

instruction
CODE: BIP 60104
SEMESTER: 1
ASSIGNMENT 2

LECTURER : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Intan Safinas Mohd

Ariff Albakri
NAME : UVARANI RETNAM
MATRICS NUMBER : M20221001403
1.1 Challenges among teachers

1.1.1 Lack of technical /Software knowledge

Teacher and students should able to handle computer and software easily during online classes.
Without proper knowledge of the software they can’t able to access online learning or record
visual and audio. Software also required some specific requirement i.e. – space of operating hard
disk, updated windows, latest graphic on computer and many more. Without proper knowledge,
it is quiet harassment to take online classes for both teacher and student. Senior teachers found it
difficult to adapt but those who master the applications and technology tools approached it
significant which can be implemented effectively and smoothly especially during the COVID-19.

It is known that majority of teachers agreed that lack of technical and software knowledge
becomes one of the biggest challenges in conducting online classes. If both teachers and students
don’t have the proper technical knowledge it becomes difficult for them to adapt new
methodology of teaching and learning. It is that the professional service provider should be
appointed to resolve the issue.

This influences the types of tasks teachers can assign for lessons, homework or long-term
projects. It is a critical factor associated with learning loss in the pandemic. There are
considerable inequalities in pupil access to technology at home. Those from disadvantaged
backgrounds are less likely to have digital resources or a suitable home learning environment
(Di Pietro et al.2020). This is a difficult issue for schools. They are unlikely to have sufficient
resources to supply disadvantaged pupils with individual equipment. School districts may have
to lobby relevant Government Departments for support. Giving pupils access to school buildings
on a rotational basis could be a possible option.
1.1.2 Difficulty in Engaging Learners Online

Engaging learners actively is one of the key factors in determining the success of an e-learning
program. Online learning requires a very high degree of self-motivation which is found to be
lacking among our learners. Learners find it difficult to migrate from the traditional learning
mode to the new e-learning mode.

The goal of teaching is to ensure that each student receives quality education, skills and develop
talent. In classroom teaching - the teacher ensures discipline is maintained properly, rules are
enforced, and students are in a safe learning environment. But in the case of online classes
teachers cannot exercise physical control on the learners. Therefore keeping all this in view, the
researcher asked the respondents whether monitoring discipline is a challenge faced by them
during online teaching. The student profiles identify a range of difficulties that some students
experience. This will impact on the technology teachers choose to use and the types of tasks they
assign. Planning online work that can be adapted for students with different learning abilities will
require careful collaboration. Regardless of teachers’ experience and skills in using technology,
putting in place adaptations that will enable students to work successfully online presents
additional challenges and highlights the need for guidelines regarding universal design for
learning.

Teaching has been a struggle for teachers especially when they have to teach other fields than the
major course taken in universities or teacher training centres. ESL teachers who teach English
also face challenges in dealing with pupils in the classroom. However, due to enthusiasm in the
teaching profession, the teachers have to face those challenges as a normal situation.
Nonetheless, due to Covid - 19 pandemic, MCO has been imposed and it resulted in the closure
of all education centres. Thus, work from home becomes a new challenge to teachers as they are
not ready with this unprecedented situation. They need to switch the teaching and learning
process to online learning throughout the MCO period. Many teachers are using Google
Classroom as the medium of online teaching and learning because the teachers and pupils have
been given identification passwords since Google Classroom first introduced.
1.1.3 Time constraints

Time is one of the greatest constraints to any change process. Time is often devoted to
workshops intended to promote individual learning and encourage classroom change. This may
not be the kind of time that is needed for organizational learning or school change. Shaw and
Perkins (1992, p. 175) defined organizational learning as the ``capacity of an organization to gain
insight from its own experience and the experience of others and to modify the way it functions
according to such insight''.

According to the teachers time was an essence to any change implementation but they were not
given ample time to prepare materials for the online teaching. Teachers or students were not
given enough time to get familiarized with the digital technology. To me time is always the
challenge as me a teacher was not enough time given to get to prepare interesting presentations
to get students attention during their teaching online.

Perhaps teachers were not given enough time to familiarize in use of goggle classrooms .Another
responsibilities were teachers had to bear such as keeping record of students’ result, attending
school meetings, planning and running school events, disciplining students and many others that
they had to complete apart from their core business of teaching. Hence, learning about the
online teaching would take up some of their time and this would be another task they had to
shoulder. As me a teacher “time alone is already a challenge if you want to see it from the
challenges we face...because not only we have to teach, think about our lesson plan, how to teach
better in class, disciplining is also our responsibility, where when our students do
something wrong, we have to be responsible for it, and plus, we have to plan school meetings,
attend the meetings also, many other things la...and now online in the list...pretty intense.
1.2 Challenges faced by students

1.2.1 Difficulty in navigating the system

The obstacles such as difficulty in navigating the system faced by some primary school pupils
and the awkward virtual class hinder the utilization of Google Classroom in aiding teaching and
learning outside classroom settings. Upper primary pupils are not ready with this unprecedented
of Covid - 19 pandemic. They used to have a face-to-face learning environment in schools. Thus,
upper primary school pupils’ readiness is not that high to use the online learning platform.
Besides, some upper primary school pupils were not motivated to join the virtual learning due to
the lack of interaction between teachers and students because they used to have face to face
instruction .Apart from that, lack of support from administrators in school in the context of
providing infrastructure also one of the challenges of using Google Classroom as an online
learning tool. Furthermore, internet connection is also one of the challenges faced by the ESL
upper primary school pupils to use Google Classroom for online learning. The ESL upper
primary school pupils also unable to submit the assignments given in Google Classroom due to
inadequate support to online learning. Many parents complained that slower internet connectivity
is one of the problems that hinder the teaching and learning process at home. It is very important
for the students to have good internet access and have devices for virtual learning to avoid
disruption in their learning activities.

Google Classroom is still new in the Malaysian context intending to optimize the integration of
ICT for distance and self-learning. Many primary school teachers complained that many pupils
are unable to join the virtual classes. This is because access to the internet is a challenge,
particularly in rural areas. However, ESL primary school teachers need to use an online platform
in delivering the content of the syllabus as teaching and learning activities need to be completed
from home during MCO due to Covid - 19 pandemic. Malaysia education system is transforming
to a better version, the teachers need to be expert to the advancement of technology.
1.2.2 Language Barrier

The extensive use of English in e-learning contents is also one of the factors that has hindered
the success of e-learning, especially in non-English speaking countries like Malaysia. Many, who
like to enrol in eLearning programs, are deterred from doing so as they are not confident with the
contents in English. The second largest score was Language Anxiety (393). Because there is no
direct classroom interaction in learning, students tends to have the anxiety to communicate
virtually. They felt panic were asked to speak in English and this anxiety also made them
unconfident in learning English through online. Then, based on data in the figure above,
adaptability struggle was the third barrier found mostly by the students in learning English
through online. The move from conventional teaching learning process to online learning needs
an adaptation. Students who learn from home were not accustom to the process conducted in
online learning. The students’ adaptation depends on the level of awareness, familiarity of
technological information and willingness to get involved in online learning approach.

1.2.3 Computer literacy

Technological competencies is another barrier faced by students. Not every adult students has the
same degree of technical experience or operating the technology. Thus, they are not able to
operate the technology used in online learning well. Some students said that they were helped by
other people in using technology to learn in online learning. The lack of familiarity with
technology can 2021. Linguistics, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal 5 (1):39-4644
hinder e-learning and have a negative effect on the learner’s confidence and technical problems
can frustrate learners and can hamper the progress of learners.
This is acceptable because the students in this digital era are familiar with technology such as
computer, hand phone. Even though the students are familiar but there are still some students
considered computer literacy as their barriers in learning English through online learning.
Limited access to quality technology, poor computer literacy, social isolation and the need for
self-discipline are all barriers to online learning environments.
1.3.1
One of the major stumbling blocks with regard to online learning is the lack of strong and stable
internet connections, as the ones conventionally used at homes have either low bandwidth or
have exhausted their limits. Just the process of logging in for a class itself becomes a
cumbersome process for students and teachers alike. Even as upgrading the broadband
connection is a prima facie solution, but it certainly isn’t a fool-proof one.

What’s really needed for the purpose is a tool that can make logging in a one-time process.
There’s a need for an app through wherein both teachers and students can simply select their
class/subject and get going. Before making online learning activities and assessment tasks
available to your students, invest the time to test these resources using different internet
browsers. Each learning management system (LMS) and virtual learning environment (VLE)
will have different requirements and being able to recommend the most compatible internet
browser to your students at the start of the semester will save everyone a lot of time.
For those of us working from home, there may not be a quick solution for our poor internet
connection, and having a high data mobile plan from your phone carrier is an essential back-up
option. If you suddenly drop out of your online classroom because of an unstable internet
connection, the ability to tether or hotspot your phone’s cellular connection to your computer
may just buy you enough time to muddle through until the end of the sess