Research Information System
Presentation, pp.22-23, 2023
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March 2020, Turkey switched to distance education in as well as around the world. The obligations and being equipped for distance education have led teachers to question themselves in a professional sense. This research aims to be able to reveal the problems and needs experienced by teachers who provide distance education for the aforementioned reasons. Since the study conducted for this purpose focuses on the phenomenon of distance education and the personal experiences of teachers, it has the nature of a case science (phenomenological) research. In this context, the study was conducted with a qualitative research approach. The participants are teachers working at different levels and branches in schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education, who were actively working during the epidemic period. Data collection was carried out by semi-structured interview method and analysis was made using content analysis for the collected data. Four themes emerged in the content analysis of the answers contained in the interview form containing questions about the professional qualifications of the participating teachers in distance education; the efficiency of distance education, the use of Web 2.0 tools, the needs and competencies of in-service education (vocational and digital competence). The findings obtained show that teachers need a teaching program aimed at increasing their teacher competencies in distance education. In addition, among the findings of the article, the importance of the presence of interactive media and materials in distance education emerged like in face-to-face education. Based on the results obtained, it is recommended that the in-service programs to be planned should be prepared in accordance with the teachers' gaining insight. However, in-service seminars that may be prepared should be organized to include teachers' digital literacy skills. By improving the Internet infrastructure and facilitating access to technology, students can participate more actively in this process. This study is important in terms of carrying data aimed at increasing the quality of distance education studies.
Keywords: Distance education, vocational qualification, Covid-19 pandemic, needs analysis