VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOIUNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIESFACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES o£Hlœs TEACHERS' AND STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT INTERACTIONS IN
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Online learning is an increasingly popular learning trend in the 4.0 era. With the development of the Internet and connection and display technologies, online learning is more accessible and manageable and opens up new opportunities for educational institutions, including high schools During COVID-19 prevention and control in Vietnam and around the world, the benefits of this learning model have become increasingly evident when helping schools maintain activities and connect teachers with millions of classes for students and faculty quality Online learning provides a learning environment that is not limited in time and space while reducing training and social costs (Cantrell, O'Leary, & Ward, 2008).
The application of technology in training activities is inherently not too new The development and application of new technologies in education have helped to improve the quality and effectiveness of online learning According to Connolly, McLellan, Stansfield, Ramsay, & Sutherland (2004), technology application in training has undergone three main stages The first phase, from
1994 to 1999, was marked by the passive use of Internet technology, where traditional paper documents were converted online The second period, from
2000 to 2003, was marked by the development of high-bandwidth communication technology, increased efficiency, connection efficiency,information transmission, media diversity of devices, and growing digital resources A virtual learning environment is formed with face-to-face and online forms The third phase is now underway, marked by social media, wide-area connectivity, online simulation, and mobile learning Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the role of technology in online learning. Bailey & Pearson (1983) assert that online learning is based on Internet technologies to offer a wide range of solutions to help improve training knowledge and performance.
The COVID-19 outbreak has affected many sectors globally, including healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and economic systems The education sector is not immune to the impact of COVID-19 This pandemic has affected all levels of the global education system, from preschool to university, and caused the delay or cancellation of academic seminars One of the policies or measures adopted by countries around the world to prevent the spread of this disease involves the complete closure of schools and educational institutions, thereby affecting the education of more than 900 million students globally (UNESCO, 2020).
It can be seen that E-learning plays pivotal role is becoming more and more popular in education However, e-learning also poses a number of issues that affect how effective the educational process is, especially when teacher and students’ interaction involved The lack of in-person interaction is a major issue since it can erode the sense of understanding and connection that exists between teacher and students This lack of direct involvement could make it more difficult to assess pupils' understanding and meet their specific needs Technical obstacles can also impede the seamless flow of information by interfering with real-time communication, such as slow internet connectivity and platform errors.
Besides, the shift to online teaching also caused plenty of difficulties for local teachers because they lacked of experience in navigating virtual classrooms Many teachers, accustomed to traditional pedagogical methods, find themselves grappling with the demands of digital platforms and the nuances of online instruction This technological learning curve often results in less effective communication, reduced engagement, and frustration for both teachers and students The insufficicent interaction between teacher and students caused both educators and learners feel unsatisfied about the lessons.
In addition, many studies have showed that teacher-student interaction in the classroom plays a pivotal role in shaping the learning experience The dynamic and meaningful exchange between teachers and students fosters a supportive learning environment, enhancing academic outcomes and overall student development Research has consistently demonstrated that positive teacher-student relationships contribute to increased student engagement, motivation, and a sense of belonging Students are more likely to succeed academically when they feel connected to their teachers, who can provide guidance, support, and personalized feedback Effective communication and interaction allow teachers to gauge students’ understanding, adapt their teaching methods, and address individual needs Moreover, a positive teacher- student relationship contributes to a positive classroom atmosphere, promoting a sense of trust and mutual respect.
Stemming from the above reasons, the author chose “Teachers' and students' perceptions of teacher-student interactions in online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic: An exploratory study at a high school in Hai Phong” as the thesis topic master's degree.
1.2 Aims and objectives of the study
This research is carried out in order to explore the teachers’ and students’ perceptions of teacher-student interactions in online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic Subsequently, the findings of this study will be utilized to propose practical and innovative solutions that address the unique needs of online learning during crises like the pandemic or in scenarios where hybrid classrooms become a necessity These proposed solutions will serve as valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and institutions, offering tangible strategies to optimize teacher-student engagement and foster a more productive and enriching online learning environment.
These above overarching aims can be reliazed by the following objectives:
1) to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the common forms of teacher-student interactions in online classes at a high school in Hai Phong.
2) to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the factors that affect the effectiveness of teacher-student interactions in online classes at a high school in Hai Phong.
1) — What are teachers' and students' perceptions of the common types of teacher-student interactions in online classes at a high school in Hai Phong?
2) | What are teachers' and students’ perceptions of the factors that affect the effectiveness of teacher-student interactions in online classes at a high school in Hai Phong?
The complex dynamics of teacher-student (T-S) interactions in the context of online learning are the main topic of this study, with a focus on the perspectives of both teachers and students Within the setting of a high school in Hai Phong, the research is specifically limited to examining the typical forms of Teacher-student interactions that are common in online classes and the elements that greatly influence these interactions’ effectiveness This study was carried out in a four-month semester, enables a thorough examination of how Teacher-student interactions have changed throughout this particular period of time In order to ensure a thorough representation of all parties involved in the online learning process, the study's participants include both teachers and high school students in Hai Phong By delimiting the study to a specific geographic location, time frame, and participant pool, the research aims to provide targeted and contextually relevant insights that can inform the enhancement of Teacher-student interactions in online high school education within the Hai Phong region.
The research design used in this study is the exploratory type of mixed- method research approach in order to guarantee that the data collected to answer the two research questions are sufficient and reliable Tashakkori and Teddlie (1998) defined mixed-model studies as those that “combine the qualitative and quantitative approaches within several different phases of the research process.” According to Creswell (2012), mixed- method design is defined as a procedure for collecting, analyzing, and “mixing” both € quantitative and qualitative research and methods in a single study to understand a research problem The researcher selected this method because the use of both methods provides a more complete understanding of research problems than does the use of either approach alone In addition, mixed- method research can help to clarify and explain relationships found to exist between variables According to Gay, Mils, & Airasian (2012), mixed methods approach can provide broad and brief understanding on the research objects.
This study aims to clarify the typical characteristics of teacher-student interactions in online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic, from there, determine the factors that affect the effectiveness of the interaction between teachers and students in online classrooms in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic Therefore, the most suitable research method for the research objective is the explanatory research method, hence, this is an explanatory research.
The thesis is divided into five main chapters as follows:
LITERATURE REVTIEW Ăn sgk, 7 2.1 Theoretical foundations of online learning - -‹ -ô- 7
Teachers' and students’ perceptions . -++-<<<<<s<ccsses 16 1 Concept of perC€p(IOII - s11 1 9 nen 16 2 TeacherS' DerC€PfIOH - s11 kg rườn 18 3 Students! perception - - 5 s1 ng nườn 20 2.3 The interaction between teachers and students in the online
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, perception is the process of becoming aware or conscious of a thing or things in general; the state of being aware; consciousness; understanding The process of understanding becomes a mediated experience, as it requires the use of the senses in order to process data To be perceivable, the object must be able to be understood by the mind through the interplay of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell To be perceived, a sensation must pass through the body through one of sensory organ, that is, the eye, ear, nose, mouth, or skin To interpret that sensation is what is known as perception The perceivable is what can be interpreted by the body.
Specifically, teachers’ and students’ perceptions of teacher-student interactions are the thoughts and options of teachers and students about the interactions between teachers and students.
“According to Turner (1983), a perception is an assessment of individuals, including of knowledge to give meaning to stimuli from the physical environment or from other instruments Hara, Bonk, & Angeli
(2000) state that a perception is a process, including knowledge in giving meaning to an individual's environment Meanwhile, Pawan et al (2003) argue that there are factors that influence the emergence of one’s perception, such as from the person concerned, target of perception, and situation factors. Other factors that influence perceptions include physiological, attention, interest, and need factors (Artino, 2007).”
As perception is a subjective process influenced by individual differences, it means that each person perceives something will be totally different from the other There are a lot of factors which influence subjectivity such as personal feelings, judgments, opinion, motivation, and culture. Because these factors are variable and personal, there is a need to investigate
17 how teacher and students perceive the interactions in class and factors affecting them so that there will be some adjustments to improve the quality of education, especially online education.
Teacher perception has been considered as a general term of teacher perception and teacher belief (Borg, 2003) In the mainstream educational literature, the concept of teacher awareness was first proposed by Borg
(2003) Prior to that, it was known under several terms: teacher judgment (Brenton, 2014), theoretical belief (Gabbert & Johnson, 1986), belief (Pajarcs,
1992), pedagogical knowledge specific (Spada & Massey, 1992), conception of practice (Dayal & Lingam, 2015), theory of practice including thinking and beliefs, personal pedagogical system including beliefs, knowledge, theory, assumptions and attitudes (Calderhead, 1996) pedagogical knowledge (Shulman, 1987), practical knowledge (Danielewicz, 2001) pedagogical principles, teachers’ perceptions including beliefs, perceptions and knowledge (Hoy, Davis & Pape, 2006) in the dominant and most notable concept is belief and knowledge The most commonly referenced view of teacher perception in recent studies in this decade has been contributed by Borg (2006) The reason is that Borg is able to summarize and analyze the big picture of teachers' perceptions from these overlapping and disparate structures to add a new structure with appropriate components and unambiguous categorization of the related terms.
Borg (2003, 2006) introduced the teacher's cognitive model According to Borg (2006), cognitive aspects of teachers emerged in the late 1970s; However, research on the perception of L2 teachers really broke out in the 1990s, at that time the number of studies aimed at investigating the relationship between what teachers think, teachers’ beliefs, and teachers’
18 beliefs what teachers do increases dramatically Based on a review of the literature on teacher perception, Borg (2009) built a research model of teacher perception and this model is the most widely used model in the world of teacher perception research.
Extensive experience of May affect existing cognitions classrooms which defines early although especially when cognition and shapes teachers’ unacknowledged, these may perceptions of initial training limit its impact. t t
Beliefs, knowledge, a About teaching, theories, attitudes, teachers, learning, images, assumptions, TEACHER Students, subject matter, metaphors, C ae > curricula, materials, conceptions, instructional activities, perspectives i se
Influence practice either by Defined by the interaction of modifying cognitions or else cognitions and contextual factors In directly, in which case turn, classroom experience influences incongruence between cognition cognitions unconsciously and/or and practice may result through conscious reflection
Figure 2.1 The teacher's perception model
Based on this model, the researcher designed a questionnaire to explore the teacher’s perception of interaction features between teachers and students.
The items focused mainly on four categories including schooling (teacher’s personal experience, professional education), professional coursework
(teaching experiences, outgoing professional learning, subject matter, curriculum, instruction, reflection), contextual factors (time, motivation, expectation, school and curriculum, society, parents) and classroom practice
(class size, year, teaching and learning practices, teaching styles, knowledge of student learning) Besides, there are also some semi-open questions for them to share their views and this will help to confirm the questionnaire’s results.
Perception as an individual's response to the stimulus they receive influences students' effectiveness in participating in learning activities. Research by Ryan & Deci et al (2000) showed that students’ intrinsic motivation exhibits behaviors that can be described as discovery, independence, deep information processing, discovery, and reflection It is important to note that student perception is paramount In an independent learning situation, once an assignment has been submitted to a student, there is little control over their perception Reid (2010), in his research, pointed out the importance of building deep relationships with students to get feedback from students In short, student perception becomes a fundamental aspect of learning activities Students with a good sense of the material will exhibit several characteristics, including participating well in learning, feeling happy and not getting bored quickly, easily understanding explanations from teachers, asking if it is difficult, and having a high desire to successfully able to complete the task well.
With these aspects, a questionnaire with similar items mentioned above was designed and delivered to students to investigate more about students’ perception of interaction models between teachers and students in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period From there, the differences and similarities between teachers and students’ perception will be drawn out before coming to the final conclusion.
2.3 The interaction between teachers and students in the online environment
2.3.1 Concept of teacher-student interactions
Interaction is so essential to all aspects of life that it can be said that without interaction, the world would not exist According to Wikipedia,
“Interaction is a kind of action that occurs as two or more objects have an effect upon one another The idea of a two-way effect is essential in the concept of interaction, as opposed to a one-way causal effect Closely related terms are interactivity and interconnectivity, of which the latter deals with the interactions of interactions within systems: combinations of many simple interactions can lead to surprising emergent phenomena Interaction has different tailored meanings in various sciences.” In this sense, interaction is rather object-oriented, which means it deals mainly with interaction between objects Besides, the meanings of the term is rather broad and may change depending on the areas of science to which it is applied Meanwhile, Cambridge University has come up with a more concrete, intelligible and
“human” definition, thereby interaction is “an occasion when two or more people or things communicate with or react to each other’ As per this view, interaction is confined to human interaction, or social interaction.
Teacher-student interaction is one of the critical parameters to influence student success in learning This interaction is associated with better classroom management (M Murphy & Valdéz, 2005; Pianta et al., 2012), student commitment to learning (Nora & Cabrera, 1993), students have more significant effort when there is more interaction in the classroom (Lundberg
& Schreiner, 2004), promote student learning motivation (Eccles, 2004), improve student engagement student satisfaction (Prosser & Trigwell, 2005), motivates students to actively participate in learning activities (Eccles, 2004,
Ames, 1992), and students can improve academic performance (Sarath & Gail, 2006) Studies also show that interaction in general and interaction between teachers and students, in particular, play an essential role in students' decisions about whether to complete or drop out after the first year In addition, several studies have shown that the more interactions students have with their teachers outside of the classroom, the better the quality of the interactions, even though the frequency of interactions does not always determine the quality of the interactions or of the underlying relationships that form.
Previous studies and research ỉapS - ô+ sex 35
Research by Weinstein (2003) explored the impact of different communication styles in the classroom The study emphasized the importance of teachers' clarity, openness, and responsiveness in fostering positive interactions with students Effective communication was linked to increased student engagement and motivation Another longitudinal study by Roorda et al (2011) delved into the relationship between teacher-student interactions and academic achievement The findings suggested that positive teacher- student relationships were associated with improved academic outcomes, emphasizing the role of supportive interactions in students' learning trajectories Abrami et al (2011) argue that the appropriateness of online teaching methods in universities greatly influences students' achievement levels Interactions between "students - students", "students - teachers", and
"students - learning materials" are three types of interactions that are assessed by the above research team as having an essential role in helping effective online learning The group believes that future "distance education" training can design and adjust current teaching and learning methods to enhance active, more active, targeted, and dynamic interactions with more obvious learning mechanics.
Regarding the domestic research situation, Chang et al (2013) also show that teachers have some control over students but also encourage their freedom The research team shows that the teacher-student relationship and classroom management significantly influence how classroom teaching is
35 organized The more harmonious the student-teacher relationship, the better the student's learning outcomes Research by Pham Le Duong and Tran Thuy Linh (2020) suggests that online learning still has many limitations, such as overloaded exercises, more difficult knowledge to absorb, and lectures that could be more attractive and lively than in the past Traditional classrooms, technology, and technology have many problems, the interaction between students - teachers could be more focused According to Luu Han Vu (2021),
03 factors affecting students' satisfaction with the quality of online training in the context of COVID-19 are teachers, learning conditions, and learning background The factor of learning conditions has the most decisive influence, followed by the teacher factor, and finally, the learning background factor.
With an exploratory study on students’ attitudes about interactivity in online English learning in the context of COVID-19, we focus on studying students’ attitudes about interactivity in actual lessons Online language practice is based on three learning phases: “the preparatory phase’, “the lecture phase”, “the evaluation phase” and four main types of interactions: between “learner-learner, learner-instructor, learner-content) (Moore, 1989) and “learner-interface” (Hillman, 1994) This study must point out the barriers and challenges of teachers in adjusting online teaching methods, thereby proposing solutions to improve the effectiveness of online teaching and learning English subjects English practice in the context of COVID-19.
METHODOLOGY 0 eee ecceceseeseeeeeseeeseteeneeeseeneees 37 3.1 Research qu€SfIOTNS - - - << 1 1S SH HH kg Hy 37
Participants nh ae
Study participants include twelve English teachers and 112 high school students in Hai Phong city These teachers are all English teachers whose ages range from 25 to 50 with teaching expererience from 3 to 25 years There are several reasons why teachers and grade 10 students at a high school in Hai Phong City were selected to participate in the study In the context of the Covid-
19 epidemic, teaching English subjects online is mandatory This requires teachers to improve student engagement in English classes through interactive classroom activities In addition, five teachers and five students were selected to participate in semi-structured interviews with a set of questions to obtain
40 information about their perception of the interaction of teachers and students in the online classroom during the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic.
This study employed two major instruments to answer the above- mentioned research questions They were questionnaire, semi- structured interviews that were described in detail in the following sections.
A questionnaire was sent to teachers and students at a high school in Hai Phong to investigate their perception of student-teacher interactions in the online classroom during the pandemic Covid-19 Questionnaires are a valuable tool for collecting valuable numerical data from the target population Besides, it is a quick, easy, relatively inexpensive, and powerful assessment tool Questionnaires are a popular device in educational research for several advantages (Edwards, 1991) Questionnaires are seen as an excellent way to obtain a large amount of information in a short period (Fraenkel et al., 2012) According to Brown and Swan (2001), the questionnaire allows respondents to read the sentences carefully before answering According to Millan and Schumacher (2001), questionnaires are appropriate and economical for data collection.
The study is guided by Moore’s (1989) model of online interaction to answer the following research question The present study used questionnaires to collect information from 12 teachers and 112 students at a high school in Hai Phong city Furthermore, questionnaires can reduce bias errors caused by interviewer characteristics and variations in interviewer skills (Phellas, Bloch,
& Seale, 2011) It also makes data accessible and customizable to collect,
4l analyze, and summarize The version of the questionnaire was drafted and organized into 15 items built on the theoretical framework from the literature review, excluding the first part of the participants' personal information.
The questionnaires are designed and catergorized into two themes The first theme including question | to question 14 is to investigate the teachers' and students’ perceptions of the common types of teacher-student interactions in online classes at a high school in Hai Phong These questionnaires are constructed based on 4 catergories including instructional communication, guidance and facilitating learning, social intimacy, instructional support and instructor’s presence.
Table 3.1 Building and coding the scale of the teachers’ and students' perceptions of the common types of teacher-student interactions in online classes
1 In the online classroom, teachers and | Q1 Instructional students often discuss the lesson's communication topics
2 In online classes, teachers often ask | Q2 questions related to the lesson topic and ask students to answer.
3 Teachers listen to the student's | Q3 opinions about the lesson content.
4 Teachers guide and create favorable | Q4 Guidance and conditions for students to participate facilitating
42 in learning activities in class.
The teachers are willing to meet the students to listen to their needs
The teachers are ready to listen to students’ complaints and aloow them to “let off steam”
Teachers often ask questions about how students feel in the online classroom.
Teachers create a fun, close-to- student learning atmosphere through side stories unrelated to the lesson.
Teachers provide feedback on student work 1n the online classroom.
10 Teachers point out mistakes and help students correct errors right in the online classroom.
11 Teachers provide timely support when students have needs in the online classroom.
12 Teachers are present in all learning activities in the online classroom.
13 Teachers are ready to reply studnets’ | Q13 messages via Zalo or messenger
14 Teachers provide timely reply to | Q14 studnets’ emails
Similarly, the second theme which includes question 1 to 15 were desginged to learn more about the factors that affect the effectiveness of teacher-student interactions in online classes at a high school in Hai Phong. These factors are catergorized into three main factors including learner- related, course — related and instructor-related elements All of these questionnaires were designed beased on the theory of Moore’s (1989) and
Table 3.2 Building and coding the scale of the factors that affect the effectiveness of teacher-student interactions in online classes
Ability to communicate in English Ql Learner- related
2 | Level of confidence in using the Internet | Q2
4 | Sense of belonging to a virtual group Q4
6 | Interaction preferences: face-to-face vs | Q6 Course —
9 Content of the online course Q9
10 | Linkage between interaction and Q10 learning goals
11 | User-friendliness of the communication | Q11 tools
13 | Regularity of online presence by Q13 Instructor — instructors related
14 | Usefulness of feedback from instructors | Q14
15 | Timeliness of feedback from instructors | Q15
16 | Joy of interaction with the instructors Q16
Participants were asked to express their opinions on the statements presented corresponding to a five-point Likert scale The researcher then calculates the mean of each item In addition, the researcher measured the frequency and proportion of scores The term “frequency” refers to the number of times the same answer appears on a questionnaire It can be converted to a percentage by dividing the total in one category by the total in all categories However, because the natural frequency is the basic unit of analysis and percentages sometimes obscure significance, it is best to present both percentages and frequencies (Brown, 2001).
Theoretically, Oxford (1990) is used to investigate the average level of awareness of teachers and students about the interaction between teachers and students in the online classroom during the Covid-19 period, specifically as follows:
Table 3.3 Key to understanding the averages
Before the questionnaires were officially used for the research, they were first translated into Vietnamese and proofread by three teachers of English who had experience in doing research Second, they were piloted with a group of twenty students who shared the same characteristic with the participants in the study to ensure its internal reliability By doing this, a calculation of Cronbach’s alpha was computed to measure the reliability of the questions presented in the questionnaire Third, some questionnaire items were changed to ensure the clarity and understanding of the items delivered to the respondents The primary purpose of a pilot study was to confirm that the research instruments were reliable and consistent, and that the participants were not confused The purpose of the pilot was to obtain the feasibility of the main study and appropriate use of the instrument (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2011; Fraser, Fahlman, Arscoot, & Guillot, 2018) The research
46 instrument was required to have the reliability of 0.7 or higher The scale test was employed to check the reliability of the pilot questionnaire.
The interview is a useful tool for getting different views from respondents about particular topic under investigation (Fraenkel et al., 2012).
A semi-structured interview was employed to find out the common mind- mapping strategies that teachers implement for enhancing learning engagement in EFL classes The semi-structured interview is often perceived as an easy data collection method (Wengraf, 2001) Among three types of interviews: structured, semi-structured, unstructured (Fontana & Frey, 2000), semi-structured interviews were used in this study because they allowed for flexibility and prompts of variety responses from the participants (MeDonough, 1997; Punch, 2013).
The interview lasted approximately 30 minutes for each interviewee In addition, interviews are a way to capture information about teacher-student interaction models used in online classrooms during the Covid-19 pandemic. When researchers conduct an interview, they intend to discover what people have in their minds about thoughts, feelings, and things they cannot observe directly (Fraekel, Wallen & Hyun, 2021).
Interviews are chosen to collect data for this research because of several advantages With this method, the interviewer is not only able to follow the ideas but also to investigate the thoughts and feelings of the interviewees. Moreover, if the answers of the participants are ambiguous or incomplete, it is easy to clarify them by asking for further explanation Cohen & his colleagues
(2011) claim that interviews allow respondents to express what problems they are facing and what they are really thinking Fraenkel & his colleagues (2012) further claim that interview is considered an acceptable technique to discuss,
47 validate, and check information that has been gathered and tentatively concluded To help avoid misunderstanding and make participants feel comfortable in answering, the interview questions are in Vietnamese language so that the questions can be fully understood and the interviewees can precisely express their feelings and ideas Each of the interviewees will answer seven questions The recording will be used to record all conversations during the interview to avoid missing information under the approval of the participants The information of the interviews was then transcribed by the researcher In addition, the researcher was able to adjust the prompt, improve interview methods, and change the focus of the discussion due to the audio recording To ensure the accuracy of the data acquired, transcripts of audio recordings were sent to interviewees prior to data processing “Working with the data, you create explanations, pose hypotheses, develop theories and link your story to other stories To do so, you must categorize, synthesize, search for patterns and interpret the data you have collected” (Brown, 2001).
Validity and reliability - - ôxxx kvsseesseereeersee 54 3.8 Ethical considerations - ô- ô+ xxx ng nưn 56
The validity and reliability of the scales employed in research are important factors that enable the research to yield.
Whiston (2012) defined validity as obtaining data that is appropriate for the intended use of the measuring instrument Validity refers to the appropriateness, meaningfulness, correctness, and usefulness of the inferences a researcher makes Validity is the most important idea to consider when
54 preparing or selecting an instrument for use According to Pallant (2007), validity of a test or a scale refers to the degree to which it measures what it is supposed to measure The use of a validated measurement instrument ensures the validity of the results produced from the analyses To ensure the validity in current research, researcher consulted the supervisors’ opinion and assessment before the questionnaires were sent to pilots.
Additionally, to make sure the construct validity is concerned with the degree to which the instrument measures the concepts, behavior, idea or quality that it purports to measure, researchers investigated carefully the elements that make good mind-mapping as well as how to create mind - mapping activities in English class effectively In addition, researchers find out factors that demonstrate learning engagement in English classrooms.
Bollen (1989) defined content validity as a qualitative form of validity that evaluates whether the expressions contained in the measuring instrument represent the phenomenon intended to be measured It can be said that a content validity of a measuring instrument is a validity study that exposes the extent to which each item in the measuring instrument assists the purpose. Therefore, the Like-scale questionnaire was employed to evaluate participants’ attitude towards this instruction to make sure the content validity.
Reliability refers to the consistency of scores or answers from one administration of an instrument to another, and from one set of items to another In other words, reliability refers to the extent to which repeated employment of the same research instrument, under conditions taken to be constant, produces the same results The reliability of the measuring instrument is a crucial consideration for the results of the study to be strong Therefore, researchers should ensure that the measuring instrument used is reliable In this study, researchers applied
Cronbach’s alpha to estimate the coherence of the surveys’ instruments The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, which was developed by Cronbach (1951) and is named after the researcher who developed the coefficient.
The questionnaire of this study is piloted with a group of twenty teachers who shared the same characteristic with the participants in the study A
Cronbachs’ alpha value of 0,7 and above is an indicator of the internal consistency of the scale The reliability value of the questionnaire questions was 0.966, which was an acceptable level.
Before developing a research project, it is very important to consider the characteristics and the type of the methods that will be used to obtain data, context, the procedures, the nature of participants, and the importance of participants’ moral subject, which influence the stem of contributors For this reason, it is significant to respect and to value their perspective, (Cohen and Manion, 1994) Before embarking upon this research study, I asked permission from the teachers who I selected the participants In addition, participants agreed to provide and allow me to use the information gathered to develop this study.
This chapter presents the research methods that the researcher used to help achieve the study's main objectives A detailed explanation of the use of questionnaires and interviews, as well as a description of how quantitative and qualitative data were collected, were presented to clarify the validity and reliability of the study The analysis of the collected data and discussion of the research results will be presented in the next chapter.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Results from the queStIORTI4IT€ s5 + £+++eeseesserss 57 1 Common forms of teacher- student interaction when 2180101500: 217177
4.1.1 Common forms of teacher- student interaction when learning online
To collect the awareness of students and teachers about the interaction models between teachers and students deployed in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period, the author has designed ten survey questions corresponding to 05 questions interaction types The interaction between teachers and students in the online classroom in chapter 2 of the thesis includes (1) Instructional communication; (2) Guide and facilitate learning;
(3) Social closeness; (4) Teaching support; (5) Presence of instructors Below are the survey results English teachers and students of a high school in Hai Phong city.
Table 4.1 Survey results on students and teachers' perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about instructional communication in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period
(Q1) In the online classroom, 3.18 3.19 teachers and students often
(Q2) In online classes, teachers often ask questions related to
3.12 3.01 the lesson topic and ask students to answer.
For an intuitive look, the author presents the survey results in the form of specific levels as follows:
IN THE ONLINE CLASSROOM, TEACHERS AND IN ONLINE CLASSES, TEACHERS OFTEN ASK STUDENTS OFTEN DISCUSS THE LESSON'S TOPICS | QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE LESSON TOPIC AND
Figure 4.1 Student and teachers’ perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about instructional communication in online classroom
The results of the survey on the perceptions of teachers and students about instructional communication are quite different Specifically, in the first survey question, it was found that in an online class, teachers and students often discuss the topics of the lesson, and students’ perceptions have a higher average score of 3.19 points The average perception score of teachers is 3.18 points However, the difference in the mean score is not significant.
However, in the second survey question, there was a difference in the perception of teachers and students compared to the first survey question. Specifically, teachers' perception that in online classes, teachers often ask questions related to the lesson topic and ask students to answer much higher than the average score of students’ perception born on this issue.
The above results show that students participating in online learning need to understand the instructor's instructional communication with them fully This shows that teachers need to raise students' awareness of this issue to improve the effectiveness of teacher-student interaction in the online classroom.
Table 4.2 Survey results on students’ and teachers' perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about guidance and facilitating learning in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period
(Q3) Teachers listen to the student's opinions about the 3.28 3.01 lesson content.
(Q4) Teachers guide and create favourable conditions for ơ ; 3.31 2.95 students to participate in learning activities in class.
For an intuitive look, the author presents the survey results in the form of specific levels as follows:
Figure 4.2 Student and teachers' perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about guidance and facilitating learning in online classroom
The results of the survey on the perceptions of teachers and students about instructional communication are quite different Specifically, in the first survey question, it was found that in an online class, teachers and students often discuss the topics of the lesson, and students' perceptions have a higher average score of 3.19 points The average perception score of teachers is 3.18 points However, the difference in the mean score is not significant.
However, in the second survey question, there was a difference in the perception of teachers and students compared to the first survey question. Specifically, teachers' perception that in online classes, teachers often ask questions related to the lesson topic and ask students to answer much higher than the average score of students’ perception born on this issue.
The above results show that students participating in online learning need to understand the instructor's instructional communication with them fully This shows that teachers need to raise students' awareness of this issue to improve the
60 effectiveness of teacher-student interaction in the online classroom.
Similarly, students' perceptions of guiding and facilitating factors are only average, even if the average score of students' perceptions is lower than the average score of teachers member in both questions The survey results in question 3 give an average score of 3.01, which means that the students participating in the survey agree on average with the idea that the teacher always listens to the students' opinions in the online classroom about the content of the lesson In addition, with this cooperative model, question 4 also has a relatively low average score of 2.95 This shows that the participating students disagree with the view that in the online classroom, teachers always guide and create favorable conditions for students to participate in classroom learning activities.
Table 4.3 Survey results on student and teachers' perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about social intimacy in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period
Questions Teachers’ perceptions Students' perception
(Q7) Teachers often ask questions about how students 3.20 2.95 feel in the online classroom.
(Q8) Teachers create a fun, close-to-student learning
3.07 2.79 atmosphere through side stories unrelated to the lesson.
Survey results on social closeness in the online classroom show that students' awareness about this issue is much lower than that of teachers. Specifically, for the view that teachers frequently question students’ feelings in online classrooms, the average cognitive level of students is 2.95 points. Meanwhile, from this point of view, the teacher's perception is 3.2 points.
For the view that teachers create a happy and close learning atmosphere with students through side stories unrelated to the lesson, students agree with a relatively low average score of 2.79 points, while this score of the teacher is 3.07 points.
Table 4.4 Survey results on student and teachers' perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about instructional support in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period
Questions Teachers' perceptions Students' perception
(Q9) Teachers provide feedback on student work in 3.10 2.79 the online classroom.
(Q10) Teachers point out mistakes and help students
3.20 2.65 correct errors right in the online classroom.
62 needs in the online classroom.
The survey results on teachers’ and students' perceptions of teachers’ support in online English classes show that all teachers and students participating in the survey agree at an average level with the scales measurement related to this problem However, the survey results also show that students' awareness of the teacher's support in the online classroom is lower than that of the teacher Especially all scales have an average score of less than 3 (ranging from 2.65 points to 2.95 points) Meanwhile, the average score of teachers’ perception of the teacher's support in the online classroom results in an average score of over 3 points Accordingly, the timely support of teachers when students have online learning needs has the highest score of 3.35 points.
Table 4.5 Survey results on student and teachers' perceptions of interaction models between teachers and students about instructor’s presence in online classrooms during the Covid-19 period
Teachers' perceptions Students' Question perception
(Q12) Teachers are present in all learning activities in the 2.94 2.95 online classroom.
Question 10 gives an average score of 2,95 This means that students agree fairly with the view that teachers are present in all learning activities in the online classroom Meanwhile, teachers’ awareness of this problem is much
63 lower, with an average score of 2,94 points.
4.1.2 Factors affecting teacher- student interaction when learning online
To collect students and teachers' awareness of the factors affecting the effectiveness of interaction between teachers and students in the online classroom, the author has designed 16 survey questions equivalent to 03 factors presented in the study Chapter 2 includes learner-related, instructor- related and course — related factors.
Table 4.6 The elements of learners’ factors on the effectiveness of interaction between teachers and students in the online classroom
(Q44) Sense of belonging to a ome 3.30 2.89 virtual group
The survey results show a significant difference in the level of learners’ awareness of the factors affecting the effectiveness of online classroom interaction between teachers and students during the Covid-19 epidemic The differences in each component element related to specific learners are as follows.
Students believe that their ability to communicate in English is independent of the effectiveness of interaction in the online classroom (M=2.61) However, the perceived level of teachers participating in the survey for this factor was much higher than that of students but still at an average level (M=3.19) Meanwhile, teachers appreciate the influence of learners' free time on interaction efficiency (M=3.31) more than students’ perceptions of the relationship between free time and interaction efficiency in online classes (M=2.90).