ESL TEACHERS' PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ADOPTION OF EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING IN TIME OF CRISIS

Background and Purpose: The operation of educational institutions was suspended for a certain period due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak as social distancing came into effect as one of the World Health Organisation (WHO) strategies to help prevent further spreading of the virus. Subsequently, the education field witnessed a drastic shift in the mode of instruction, from the traditional physical classroom learning to online education and distance learning. Particularly in Malaysia, the suddenness of the implementation of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) as per suggested by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, has opened a new paradigm and brought a new experience in teaching for most teachers. With ERT being activated for the second time, it became a major concern to various parties on the effectiveness of the mode of instruction towards the teaching and learning processes for both teachers and students. Hence, this paper aims to investigate ESL teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards ERT to further develop the quality and effective distance education programs should a crisis like the current situation ever happens again. Methodology: This study employed a quantitative descriptive research approach as the research method. An online survey of 124 Malaysian English as Second Language (ESL) teachers was conducted for descriptive analysis. The respondents of this study were recruited using the purposive sampling technique. They should have at least one year experience in English language teaching prior to conducting lesson using ERT, and they should be in-service Malaysian ESL primary school teachers. Findings: The findings revealed that most of the teachers support ERT as the alternative mode of instruction in substituting the physical classroom learning in unprecedented time of crisis. However, certain difficulties remain, most notably issues regarding the digital divide. These implications call for more attention to developing more infrastructure and facilities, providing amenities and equipment as well as providing appropriate training to teachers. Contributions: The findings provide valuable insights from the teachers' perspective, also known as the policy implementers, to help develop better e-learning curriculum and develop better contingency plans or strategies for emergencies and time of crisis.