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Is Flexible Learning Flexible for Teachers? An Investigation of the Current Situation of China’s Online Flexible EFL Teaching During the COVID-19 Outbreak

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Learning Technologies and Systems (SETE 2020, ICWL 2020)

Abstract

This study investigated the current situation of online flexible teaching in Chinese primary and middle schools, its impact on EFL teachers and the corresponding measures. An online survey regarding the basic condition of flexible teaching was conducted to 2,051 EFL teachers from different provinces in China. The results showed that online flexible teaching has been carried out in primary and middle schools nationwide in China. Varied online platforms and materials were applied by EFL teachers. Though the experiences of flexible teaching have had positive impact on their professional development, they have been confronted with lots of difficulties from different aspects. Therefore, to achieve effective flexible teaching, EFL teachers should be familiar with different teaching tools, prepare abundant teaching resources, and design effective teaching activities. Besides, other parties are supposed to provide sufficient support for them.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the Center for Language Cognition and Assessment, South China Normal University. It’s also the result of the following funds: Guangdong Academic Degrees & Graduate Education Reform Project (2019JGXM37), and University-Industry Collaborative Education Program (201801191006 & 201801191027).

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Correspondence to Xiaobin Liu .

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Yuan, M., Wu, X., Xiong, F., Li, W., Xie, Q., Liu, X. (2021). Is Flexible Learning Flexible for Teachers? An Investigation of the Current Situation of China’s Online Flexible EFL Teaching During the COVID-19 Outbreak. In: Pang, C., et al. Learning Technologies and Systems. SETE ICWL 2020 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12511. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66906-5_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66906-5_41

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