Investigating the perceptions of teachers’ preparedness to teach through e-learning during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown: A case study of a primary school in the Khomas region

Abstract

This research aimed to comprehend the preparedness of teachers to transfer their existing ICT skills to an e-learning teaching environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigated the main issues and challenges that teachers, HODs, and the principal faced during the COVID -19 pandemic, their sudden and unexpected transition from face-to-face to emergency remote education, and their main worries and concerns during this period of implementing e-learning, as well as their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process, using a semi-structured interview and clear questions. The study also generated teachers' ideas for strengthening education in the event of future lockdowns and in the post-COVID-19 era, based on their experiences during the lockdown period. Teachers, HODs, and the principal were among the fifteen (15) participants in this study. The qualitative research was situated in a case study design. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using inter-rater reliability analysis to discover labels, codes, and themes from semi-structured interviews. The valuable insights gained from this study illustrate how important it is for teachers' voices to be heard by the management and the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. It is therefore pivotal for the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture (MoEAC) to include e-learning implementation in their budgeting and steady implementation using a top-down approach.