The influence of remote learning environment and use of technology on university students’ behavioural engagement in contingency online learning

Katerina Dvorakova; Jaroslav Emmer; Renata  Janktová; Kateřina Klementová

doi:10.18543/tjhe.2327

Katerina Dvorakova University of South Bohemia, Czechia
Jaroslav Emmer University of South Bohemia, Czechia
Renata Janktová University of South Bohemia, Czechia
Kateřina Klementová University of South Bohemia, Czechia

Keywords: student engagement, contingency online learning, learning environment, technology, higher education, ELT

Abstract

The shift of instruction imposed on higher education institutions by the pandemic-related restrictions bolstered the interest in students’ online class participation. This study investigates university students’ engagement in remote foreign language classes during the COVID-19 lockdown. While engagement is a multi-faceted construct, we only aim to explore its behavioural dimension. The authors felt compelled to acknowledge and comprehend their students’ behaviour in contingency online learning (COL). Through a qualitatively oriented exploratory case study, we sought to answer two research questions related to the extent the use of technical equipment and remote physical environment influenced students’ engagement. The study was conducted with students enrolled in regular, in-person Bachelor’s or Master’s degree courses to qualify as teachers of English at primary or lower-secondary schools. The results indicate that the use of technology did not prove to be a significant obstacle to online learning engagement. Concerning the remote physical environment, the learning process was compromised most significantly by the intimate character of the home-working space. We believe that our findings will help educators to rationalise their expectations and formulate best practice recommendations.

Received: 7 January 2022
Accepted: 16 January 2023

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Author Biographies

Katerina Dvorakova, University of South Bohemia, Czechia

PhD in Education, currently works as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English Studies at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic. She specializes in pre-service training of future teachers of English, her core subjects are ELT Methodology and Communication Skills. She also supervises English teaching practice at elementary and lower-secondary schools. Her research focuses on primary ELT Methodology and issues related to preservice foreign language teacher training. She has co-authored several locally published English textbooks for both primary and lower-secondary learners.

Jaroslav Emmer, University of South Bohemia, Czechia

MA in language teaching (English and Czech), is a lecturer at the Department of English Studies at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic, where he teaches linguistic and practical English courses. He is also an external PhD student in the programme Philology: English Language at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. His primary area of research is phraseology with the use of corpus linguistics. His hobbies are English pronunciation, computer game language, fantasy and science fiction literature, complex music, and sports.

Renata Janktová, University of South Bohemia, Czechia

PhD in English Literature, is a Senior Lecturer in British History and Cultural Studies at the Department of English Studies at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic. Her current research interests focus on English landscape history, national identity and cultural memory. Her further interests include architectural history and cultural heritage protection.

Kateřina Klementová, University of South Bohemia, Czechia

MA in teaching of Czech and English, currently works as a lecturer of spoken and written language analysis, a teacher of practical language; and she also supervises pre-service teacher practice at the Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic. She is an external PhD student of English Language and Literature in a Didactic Perspective at the Faculty of Education, Charles University, Prague. Her other interests are language of news media, sociolinguistics, English language skills in the workplace, and teacher training in English for specific purposes.

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