Investigating the Effectiveness of Virtual Education in the Educational System During the COVID-19 Pandemic from the Perspective of Lower Secondary School Teachers in Behbahan County
Keywords:
Virtual Education, Educational System, COVID-19, teachersAbstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of virtual education from the perspective of lower secondary school teachers in Behbahan County during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted in response to the widespread transition from face-to-face instruction to online learning environments and sought to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual education across various educational dimensions. In terms of data collection, this research employed a survey design and, in terms of purpose, was an applied study. Methodologically, it was a descriptive-survey study. The statistical population consisted of 380 teachers employed in lower secondary schools in Behbahan County. A simple random sampling method was used based on the list of teachers working in the county’s secondary schools, and according to Cochran’s formula, a sample size of 174 participants was determined. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire consisting of 52 items rated on a Likert scale. Content validity was assessed using the Waltz and Bausell method, with evaluations provided by eight experts. The Content Validity Index (CVI) for all questionnaire items was calculated as 0.93, indicating a high level of content validity. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, which yielded a value of 0.90, demonstrating satisfactory reliability. To address the research questions, mean scores with a 95% confidence level and one-sample t-tests were employed. In the inferential statistics section, independent-samples t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26. The findings indicated that, from the teachers’ perspective, virtual education was effective in the dimensions of flexibility, educational content, organization of learning materials, and practical instructional tools. However, virtual education was perceived as ineffective in the dimensions of virtual page design, feedback, assessment and evaluation, workload (assignments), support systems, and teaching–learning activities.
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