Opinions on Roles of Teachers in English Teaching in the New Normal Era: A Perspective of Teachers and School Administrators in Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate, explore, and compare the opinions of English teachers, heads of the foreign language department, and vice directors of academic affairs regarding the roles of teachers in English teaching in the new normal era The participants consisted of 31 English teachers, heads of the foreign language department, and vice directors of academic affairs who participated in a training program that aimed at improving the quality of English teaching in Kalasin province, Thailand. They were selected using convenience and availability sampling methods. A questionnaire was employed as the research instrument to gather data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the obtained data, while the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized for hypothesis testing. The results revealed that all participants disagreed with teaching English using the same processes as before the pandemic. They strongly agreed that the processes of teaching English need to be changed in the new normal era. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) also showed that there is no significant difference in the opinions among English teachers, heads of foreign language departments, and vice directors of academic affairs regarding the roles of teachers in English teaching in the new normal era, as well as the needs for desired characteristics and/or qualifications of English teachers in the new normal era. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a need to change the English teaching processes and provide training to improve the quality of English teaching and learning. Keywords: Covid-19, new normal, teachers, English, teaching