Teacher-Instructors’ Perception of Virtual and Traditional Teaching in a Trinidad and Tobago-Based University

Education delivery is a situated experience for many institutions as they face different challenges. Numerous studies have examined the perception of education professionals as it relates to virtual and traditional teaching, yet teacher-instructors’ perception in teaching modality remains largely under-explored locally. For this reason, the study investigated teacher-instructors` perception of traditional and virtual teaching. The study sort to understand teacher instructors` perception on each teaching modality, its link to beliefs, education practices, perceived student achievement and how it shapes their ideas on technology integration in education.
Using a convergent parallel mixed-method research design (QUAN-QUAL), data were collected using questionnaires and interviews (for QUAN-QUAL respectively). Therefore, 76 participants were randomly sampled among the population of teacher-instructors at the target university (for the quantitative aspect of the study), whilst 8 individuals were purposively selected for the qualitative aspect of the study. The quantitative data underwent statistical evaluation using ANOVA, Pearson r correlations and hierarchical regression analyses in IBM SPSS 26.0. The qualitative data of the study were analysed using Smith et al. (2009) interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) with Atlas-ti 7.0 for management of notings and themes.
Findings from the quantitative analyses showed that teacher-instructors` preference of modality was determined by their perception of each delivery system and these views were linked to their beliefs surrounding education, education practices and perceived student achievement. More importantly, teacher-instructors` perceptions impacted their positions on technology integration within education. Qualitatively, whilst teacher-instructors accepted that there are advances in education, they faced personal, institutional and social challenges adapting to these technological changes.
Teacher-instructors admitted that both virtual and traditional teaching had benefits and pitfalls. Indications point to the preference for mixed modes of delivery in a type of hybrid design. Simultaneously, issues affecting technology integration within education systems must be addressed to increase benefits to stakeholders. Stakeholders are advised to modernize systems of education delivery, whilst facilitating vulnerable sectors to engender greater flexibility for this pedagogical shift in education; increase technological competencies; and competitiveness. This study highlighted the need to consider wider contexts of education within plans for future development of the sector.