Transition to Modular System during the Pandemic: A Study from a Distant EFL Program

Year 2022, Volume: 9 Issue: 5, 43 - 58, 01.09.2022

Esat Kuzu Pınar Tural Yeşim Beaktaş Çetinkay

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.22.103.9.5

Abstract

Modular systems, which involve several self-contained modules where skills and knowledge are developed in separate units throughout the program, are gaining popularity in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). This qualitative study aimed to reveal language instructors’ and administrators’ experiences and opinions about an online modular teaching system adopted newly due to the pandemic in an English preparatory program of a tertiary level of a state university in Turkey. Data were gathered through individual semi-structured interviews from with five instructors and three administrators and observations of online classrooms. Thematic analysis was utilized to form systematic patterns from the data. The results revealed that although the modular system provided clear goals and objectives for both instructors and learners, a number of challenges and obstacles were experienced, stemming primarily from the online implementation of the modular system, such as learners’ lack of engagement in the absence of physical classroom environment, online assessment, and instructors’ increased workload. These issues led to confusion for instructors regarding the true nature of the modular system. It could be concluded that it would be more productive to implement the modular system as a hybrid model, allowing for some face-to-face interaction and assessment, rather than relying solely on the online mode.

Keywords

Modular system, distant education, pandemic, preparatory programs, English language teaching

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