Language Learners’ Disengagement in e-Learning during COVID-19: Secondary Teachers’ Views

Abstract

The study looked at language teachers’ views of their students’ disengagement in e-learning during COVID-19. It described their efforts on how to engage the learners beyond the screen, where teachers have no control, and how to overcome the issues disturbing students’ engagement, motivation, and achievement. The study looked at learning engagement as an important requirement in e-learning, which is influenced by social factors including teachers’ communication with students, students’ interaction among themselves, and their collaboration in learning activities. This study used interviews, reports, and notes of 15 teachers to collect data from 15 language teachers in some Saudi secondary schools during the academic year 2020–2021. That year was completely delivered in e-learning platforms. The findings show that teachers ran into several difficulties to engage their learners in online sessions during that year; students lacked some ethics and requirements for e-learning; and technical issues disabled both teachers and learners from remaining in the learning engagement. These three main results propose a framework for educators, students, parents, and policymakers to deal with the obstacles and threats of learning engagement in online lessons. The study ends with suggestions for future studies.