Exploring Teaching Chinese As A Second Language Teachers’ Informatization Teaching Ability In China: Needs And Challenges

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) explore the informatization needs and challenges of the teachers and to 2) investigate the factors that support and obstruct the teachers in their technology-integrated teaching approach. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach. By using stratified teaching and Yamane’s formula of calculating the sample size, 118 teachers were selected from a population of 167 teachers teaching Chinese as a second language (TCSL) in seven schools that operated online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Miya city as research participants. Through the questionnaire survey and the structured interview, quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were adopted to identify the needs and challenges of online teaching of Chinese as a second language during the epidemic period. The findings of the study revealed that all teachers had high scores in all the items with the total average of 4.74/ S.D.= 0.48 which broke down into 4.73/ S.D. = 0.46 for content, 4.71/ S.D.= 0.53 for pedagogy and 4.78/ S.D.= 0.45 for technical knowledge.  It was found that the teachers got the highest score in content knowledge and the lowest score in pedagogy knowledge. It is therefore recommended that in order for the teachers to face online teaching with confidence, the teachers should be continuously professionally developed in designing appropriate online curriculums, especially for teaching Chinese as a Second Language and online student assessment. In addition, class interaction and students’ learning discipline will be two major challenges for the teachers. They must adapt their teaching to promote these in their online classes.