Οι πλατφόρμες σύγχρονης και ασύγχρονης τηλεκπαίδευσης στη διδασκαλία: απόψεις και χρήση εκπαιδευτικών πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης

Abstract

E-learning platforms (both synchronous and asynchronous) are constantly gaining ground in even more educational organizations as a means of supplementing or delivering instruction. In particular, the increasing use of e-learning platforms during the unfold of the Covid-19 pandemic has underscored their use as one of the most powerful digital tools, intensifying in essence the need for further research in this field. The main scope of this qualitative research is to explore primary school teachers’ views and practices on the use of synchronous and asynchronous e-learning platforms. At the same time, through this research, an attempt is made to shed light on whether the use of e-learning platforms has the potential to alter teachers’ pedagogical perceptions. In this context, factual material has been collected through 14 in-depth interviews with public and private primary school teachers with the use of semi-structured questions. The research results presented different levels of e-learning platforms usage in educational practice. Their use, as teachers report, did not contribute to change their pedagogical perceptions. However, the way they ultimately utilize e-learning platforms is contradictory to their perceptions. Teachers expressed positive views on the use of e-learning platforms as an accompanying means of in-person learning. However, several concerns were identified from their utilization, such as the workload they add to the teacher, the increase of the exposure time on the computer screen and the inevitable difficulty that teachers face when attempting to objectively assess students. In addition, this research highlights the key factors that should be considered in order to effectively integrate these tools into teaching. These findings provide evidence for linking the technological features of e-learning platforms to their benefits for teaching and learning, serving as guidance for the design of teacher training programmes.