Turkish Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Distance Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

All schools in Turkey have switched to distance learning since the onset of the pandemic. This paper investigated Turkish teachers’ attitudes towards distance learning based on different variables. This study adopted a mixed research design employing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The sample consisted of 292 Turkish teachers. The qualitative stage involved 292 Turkish teachers, while the qualitative stage involved ten Turkish teachers. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics questionnaire and the Distance Learning Attitude Scale (DLAS) developed by Ağır (2007). Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation were used for analysis. A t-test was used to determine whether participants’ attitudes towards distance learning differed by “gender” and “degree.” An ANOVA was used to determine whether participants’ attitudes towards distance learning differed by “work experience” and “knowledge and experience in distance learning.” The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine whether participants’ attitudes towards distance learning differed by “school type.” A Scheffe’s Test was used to make posthoc comparisons to determine the source of significant differences. Qualitative data were collected through focus group interviews using a semi-structured interview form (n=10). The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that participants had positive attitudes towards some aspects of distance learning, whereas they had negative attitudes towards others. Their DLAS scores significantly differed by “school type,” “work experience,” and “knowledge and experience in distance learning” but not by “gender” and “degree.”