Online Teaching During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Turkish Student Teacher and Teacher Experiences from Biology and Preschool Education Fields

Oct 15, 2026

This research presents a qualitative case study examining biology and preschool student teachers’ and teachers’ experiences of online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. Diffusion of innovations theory is used to explain how participants adopt and apply online teaching as an innovation. Data come from online surveys administered at the end of the 2021 school year, supported by observation notes during practice. Results highlight differences in readiness and experiences between student teachers and teachers, while field-based differences are limited.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and pandemic-driven shift to online education

Adoption challenges and practical experience in teacher education

Study focus and innovation framework

Online Teaching During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Turkish Student Teacher and Teacher Experiences from Biology and Preschool Education Fields Nazlı Ruya TAŞKIN BEDİZEL1 Balıkesir University Sinem GÜÇHAN ÖZGÜL 2 Balıkesir University Abstract This research presents a qualitative case study that investigates the biology and preschool student teachers' and teachers' experiences of online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study utilizes the diffusion of innovations theory to understand the adoption and application of online teaching as an innovation. The participants in the study consisted of eight senior biology teachers, four biology teachers, nine senior preschool education student teachers, and three preschool teachers. Data collection was conducted through online surveys administered to the participants at the end of the 2021 school year. Additionally, the researchers, who also served as student teachers' supervisors, took observation notes during the online teaching practice to complement the survey data. The findings of the study reveal insights into the adoption of online teaching and learning processes as an innovation among teachers and student teachers. Analysis of the participants' responses regarding their readiness and experiences indicates that student teachers exhibit higher levels of perception in adopting and applying online teaching compared to the teachers. Interestingly, the experiences of the participants from different fields did not significantly differ in terms of adopting the innovation. This study emphasizes the need to increase the relative advantages of online teaching, minimize its complexity, and be prepared for similar situations. Incorporating online lesson planning and management courses in teacher education programs and providing in-service training can enhance educators' knowledge and experiences in online teaching, contributing to the adoption of online education as an innovation. Additionally, further research is needed to explore the role of parents in online learning environments. Engaging stakeholders from various fields will provide valuable data for a deeper understanding of online teaching and learning. Keywords: online teaching, teacher education, Covid-19 pandemic, biology education, preschool education, diffusion of innovations (DIT) DOI: 10.29329/epasr.2023 .600.5 Submitted: 13 April 2023 Accepted: 12 July 2023 Published: 30 September 2023 1Dr., Necatibey Faculty of Education, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye, ORCID: 0000-0001-6027-719X [Correspondence](Correspondence: nazliruya@balikesir.edu.tr)[: nazliruya@balikesir.edu.tr](Correspondence: nazliruya@balikesir.edu.tr) 2Dr., Necatibey Faculty of Education, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye, ORCID:0000-0002-5702-2150, [Email:sinem@balikesir.edu.tr](Email:sinem@balikesir.edu.tr) Introduction The emergence of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 had a profound global impact. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic, leading to significant changes in the economy, social life, and education practices worldwide. This process has increased the importance of online working and online education worldwide, and business and education fields have undergone irreversible changes with digitalization efforts reaching the highest level (Durak & Çankaya, 2020) . The Covid-19 pandemic has posed the most significant challenge to national education systems at all levels, surpassing the growth experienced in education over the past 50 years (Daniel, 2020; Flores & Gago, 2020) . In Türkiye, as well as in many other countries, the pandemic led to the closure of almost all educational institutions, including primary, secondary, and universities, starting from March 2020. In response, emergency distance education measures were implemented to mitigate the spread of the disease (Ezginci, 2020; Telli & Altun, 2021; Yılmaz, Güner, Mutlu, & Arın

FAQs

What research method and theory guide the study of online teaching during Covid-19?

The study uses a qualitative case study and applies the diffusion of innovations theory to understand adoption and application of online teaching as an innovation.

Who participated in the research?

Participants included eight senior biology teachers, four biology teachers, nine senior preschool education student teachers, and three preschool teachers.

How were data collected and complemented during the online teaching practice?

Online surveys administered at the end of the 2021 school year collected participants’ responses, while observation notes from researchers (also student teacher supervisors) complemented the survey data.

Oct 15, 2026

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