Teachers’ Perceptions of their Self-Efficacy in Distance Education and its Relationship to their Teaching Practices in Virtual Classrooms in the Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

This study identified teachers' perceptions of their self-efficacy in distance education and its relationship to their teaching practices in virtual classrooms. The study used a perception scale and an observation card. The sample consisted of 249 teachers. Twenty teachers of the sample were selected to have their teaching practices in the academic year 2020/2021 observed. The descriptive analytical method was used to collect data and reach the results. The results of the study showed that the teachers’ perceptions of their self-efficacy in distance education came at a high level and their teaching practices in distance education came at a medium level. Also, the results showed that there is no statistically significant correlation between teachers’ perceptions of their self-efficacy in distance education and the reality of their teaching practices in virtual classrooms. The study recommended identifying a list of skills required for distance education and implementing training programs that meet the needs of teachers in technical applications for digital teaching to continue to employ technology and e-learning platforms.

Keywords

• Perceptions
• Distance education
• Self-efficacy
• Virtual classrooms