Teachers Voice: Their Experiences in Emergency Remote Teaching amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The present study describes the experience of Indonesian teachers coping with Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. An understanding of their experiences can help teachers better prepare for ERT in the future. Unlike ERT practices in other countries during the pandemic, there is still a lack of evidence of ERT practices in Indonesia. This descriptive study aims to interpret teachers’ experience in managing their ERT. Online questionnaires were distributed to 36 Indonesian university lecturers and 40 Indonesian high school teachers. The instructors shared their experience of ERT practices during the pandemic. This study aims to examine their readiness to cope with ERT. The data show that teachers demonstrated their readiness to host ERT in the way they perceived learning management systems (LMS), developed modules, deployed feedback and comments, and scheduled screen time. Teachers’ ERT strategies did not hinder students’ successful learning as teachers maintained students’ engagement in online learning through their knowledge of basic technology, such as choosing a LMS, providing encouragement through feedback, and producing media such as video lessons. Moreover, teachers could manage their screen time without negatively affecting their own mental and physical health. Finally, further research could seek data from a wider range of participants to obtain a wider picture of teachers’ experience in Indonesian ERT.