Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Writing Online Amidst the Pandemic - Voices from English Language Teachers in Philippine Universities - Article 5

Oct 15, 2026

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With the sudden transition to online instruction in most educational institutions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, research on teaching writing online during this crisis was limited. To address this niche, 13 Filipino university English language teachers participated in online semi-structured and follow-up email interviews. Findings highlight three main challenges: technological concerns and equity issues, vague school responses to emergency remote teaching, and assessment problems. Coping strategies included communication flexibility, professional development, and colleague/student support, alongside opportunities such as better platform use and enhanced reflective practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 47 Issue 4 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | 2022
Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Writing Online Amidst the Pandemic: Voices from English Language Teachers in Philippine Universities
Veronico N. Tarrayo
University of Santo Tomas, Manila, the Philippines
Ali G. Anudin
Philippine Normal University, Manila, the Philippines
Henelsie B. Mendoza
Philippine Normal University, Manila, the Philippines
Erly S. Parungao-Callueng
Philippine Normal University, Manila, the Philippines
Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte)
Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Technology Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, and the Online and Distance Education Commons | | Recommended Citation Tarrayo, V. N., Anudin, A. G., Mendoza, H. B., & Parungao-Callueng, E. S. (2022) . Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Writing Online Amidst the Pandemic: Voices from English Language Teachers in Philippine Universities. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(4) . [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n4.5](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n4.5) [This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[ ](This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.)[https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss4/5](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss4/5) Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Writing Online Amidst the Pandemic: Voices from English Language Teachers in Philippine Universities Veronico N. Tarrayo University of Santo Tomas, Manila, the Philippines Ali G. Anudin Henelsie B. Mendoza Erly S. Parungao-Callueng Philippine Normal University, Manila, the Philippines Abstract: With the sudden transition to online instruction in most educational institutions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be assumed that there is paucity in research as regards the teaching of writing online during this crisis moment. To address this niche, 13 Filipino university English language teachers were asked to participate in both online semi-structured and follow-up email interviews to describe their experiences in teaching writing online during the pandemic, particularly the challenges they faced, their coping strategies to address these challenges, and the opportunities in online teaching they valued. The interview responses revealed three major challenges in teaching writing online: technological concerns and equity issues, vague response ofschools to emergency remote teaching, and problems in assessment. Three key strategies to cope with these challenges were found: flexibility in communicating with students and in accommodating their concerns, initiatives for professional development, and gaining support from colleagues and students. Despite the challenges ofonline instruction, two opportunities for development in online writing instruction were identified: optimizing the use of online-teaching platforms and resources, and enhancing one’s reflective practice. Implications for teaching writing online in particular and for online learning and teacher education in general are discussed in the paper. Introduction Writing has remained as an essential activity across disciplines in higher education. Infact, learning to write in a specific discipline has become imperative for future professional writers to integrate into their academic, scientific, or professional community (Rakedzon & Baram-Tsabari, 2017) . Although it has become a routine activity, writing is often described asthe most challenging language skill to acquire (Hamp-Lyons & Heasley, 2006), compounded by issues such as genre, style, language, and writing instruction. At university, students often face a variety of writing tasks, which “progressively become more complex and demanding” when the learners go farther in the acade

FAQs

What research gap does the study address regarding writing instruction?

The study addresses the perceived lack of research on teaching writing online during the COVID-19 pandemic transition to online instruction.

What are the three major challenges identified in teaching writing online?

The three challenges are technological concerns and equity issues, vague school responses to emergency remote teaching, and problems with assessment.

What opportunities for development in online writing instruction are highlighted?

The study identifies optimizing online teaching platforms and resources and enhancing reflective practice as key opportunities.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Franzy