Adapting Online Mathematics Teaching in Response to the COVID- 19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study of the Benefits and Challenges of Online Mathematics Teaching in Primary and Middle Education in Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on education throughout the globe, creating unplanned situations that required swift responses. Therefore, a new shift towards online teaching and learning has emerged, with uncertain ramifications for both students and teachers. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Education mandated that all schools implement online teaching as a substitute for face-to-face teaching methods. In this respect, the current study sought to investigate the benefits and challenges of online teaching for in-service mathematics teachers in primary and middle schools in Saudi Arabia. The qualitative method was adopted, and six in-service male mathematics teachers were recruited using purposive sampling, three of them who teach in primary school and three who teach in middle school from different public schools in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a thematic analysis method as outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006) was adopted. The findings yielded three main themes, including the integration of technology in online mathematic teaching, (2) the challenges in online mathematics assessments, (3) and the lack of interaction between Learner-teachers. Additionally, a high prevalence of cheating in both primary and middle school was also found correlating with a widespread lack of comprehension of the topics taught. The study's findings provide valuable recommendations for policymakers, teachers, developers, and researchers, allowing them to become more familiar with the benefits and challenges of online mathematics teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.