Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine Sk Ulu Tembeling students’ insights and observation towards the
technological challenges and difficulties they face in utilising the Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) during the COVID-19 Emergency Remote Learning (ERL). This research employed
qualitative method of inquiry, which is qualitative phenological approach. The study included 5
students in primary school, who studied from year 6 in Sk Ulu Tembeling, Jerantut, Pahang. Data of
this study were collected through student’s reflective essay, a two-week daily journal and an
interview. This study had found out that the technological challenges and difficulties faced by the
students were device issues, internet connectivity, technology cost and low proficiency of technology
skills. They also had problem with the device itself and network connectivity. the finding of the study
is vital to improve the students’ lesson and experience in operating the ICT. Covid19 phenomenon is
a latest issue worldwide. Since it is a long-term issue, it is a hope that this research help to improve
ERL in the future.

CHAPTER 1

1.1 Introduction

Lives of people worldwide change due to Covid19 [1]–[4]. This phenomenon has been huge problem
to the people and society. It is time consuming in order to overcome the issues and urgent
commitment needed and probably last for a long time. Most nations responded to Covid19 as non-
pharmaceutical intervention as there are no vaccine is found [5]-[7]. There is some suggestion in order
to control the current global infectious crisis. People who is positive to Covid 19 or those people who
has close contact with the patient of Covid19 must undergo a quarantine. Quarantine is the isolation
and enforced movement restriction of people, who may have been confirmed with an infectious
disease. Next, social distancing where everyone must get back, way back from one another within
one or two metres. Social distancing is an alternative to slowing down community spread while
allowing more time for vaccine to be found. It is a smart strategy. Travel restriction is also
implemented to combat the spread of corona virus. Most of the country worldwide close their border
to foreigner to stop imported cases of Covid19. This pandemic haunted not only the adult but also the
kids. Children and elderly are in a high risk of infection. To be safe, most of the countries in the world
decide to shut down all the schools, university and the education sector. It is a precaution to prevent
the infection to the children and teenagers. The closing of the schools and universities force the
educators to implement new element in education system. This element is important to make sure the
teaching and learning still on going during the pandemic. This will be a shift where teacher and
student must adapt and adopt ICT in the system.
1.2 Background

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, so do the risks we face. The COVID-19 pandemic
has not stopped at national borders. It has affected people regardless of nationality, level of education,
income or gender. But the same has not been true for its consequences, which have hit the

most vulnerable hardest. Education is no exception. Students from privileged backgrounds, supported
by their parents and eager and able to learn, could find their way past closed school doors to
alternative learning opportunities. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds often remained shut out
when their schools shut down. This crisis has exposed the many inadequacies and inequities in our
education systems – from access to the broadband and computers needed for online education, and the
supportive environments needed to focus on learning, up to the misalignment between resources and
needs. The lockdowns in response to COVID-19 have interrupted conventional schooling with
nationwide school closures in most OECD and partner countries, the majority lasting at least 10
weeks. While the educational community have made concerted efforts to maintain learning continuity
during this period, children and students have had to rely more on their own resources to continue
learning remotely through the Internet, television or radio. Teachers also had to adapt to new
pedagogical concepts and modes of delivery of teaching, for which they may not have been trained. In
particular, learners in the most marginalised groups, who don’t have access to digital learning
resources or lack the resilience and engagement to learn on their own, are at risk of falling behind.

The shift is happening unexpectedly due to instant response to the crisis. Remote learning due to
school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly different from well-planned online
learning. It is called Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) or Emergency Remote Learning (ERL) or
Pandemic Pedagogy [18], [19], and these are the concepts used in this study.

COVID-19 caused impairments in the educational system to demeanour face-to-face classes between
students and teachers that eventually followed with school closures. The World Bank Education
Global Practice (2020) highlights that extended school closures a loss in human capital and also
loss in term of economic opportunities. The pandemic has made an altering principles to teach the
students and institutions need to adapt to this principles through remote learning (Westine, et al.,
2019). Thus, countries are continuing to alleviate the loss of learning by utilizing alternative delivery
to cope with the crisis. Educational instituition worldwide are trying to create other option for lesson
delivery to change the classes remotely. As predicted by Jung & Rha (2000)technology would bring
variations to the arrangements of the teaching and learning process at all levels on a worldwide
scale. Through implementation of technology in remote instruction, student engagement, sharing of
content, access to latest information and communication benefitted where everything is included. In
addition, the teachers and learners can interact with people worldwide. There are some hindrance for
the student to the distance learning such as technophobia, slow or unreliable internet, insufficient
21st-century technological skills, cost of connection, and lack of devices (Alvarez, 2020; Mathew &
Iloanya, 2016; Lynch, 2020) Undeniably, educators faced challenges to create a caring virtual
classroom that allows students for collaborative learning and interaction (Duncan &Young,
2009). The education system has changed as they shift to Emergency Remote Education as response
to the crisis. During this public health emergency, Emergency Remote Learning is highly vital to full
fill the students needs. Due to a heightening pandemic, this alternative mode of instruction happens
where a structured online instruction is difficult to implement.

A structured online instruction is difficult to implement due to a heightening pandemic so, this
alternative mode of instruction happens when a crisis emerges like the case of COVID-19 where an
emergency exists. It causes obstacle to blended learning or even face-to-face education. The education
sector needs to examine and regulate the use of technology for emergency instruction for both
teachers and students. Whether the impact is negative of positive, education system world wide are
left with no choice but to adapt and adopt with the rapid change in experiencing the adaptation.
Regardless of the possible conflicting outcomes of emergency remote instruction, the detached is to
create the most flexible, efficient, and effective instructional environment (Duncan & Young, 2009)
for the educators and the learners amid COVID-19. There is an increasing interest in policy- makers
and practitioners worldwide regarding the effectiveness of interactive remote learning approaches and
conditions (U.S. Department of Education, 2010) where emergency remote teaching is effective. The
COVID-19 pandemic has also had a severe impact on higher education as universities closed their
premises and countries shut their borders in response to lockdown measures. Although higher
education institutions were quick to replace face-to-face lectures with online learning, these closures
affected learning and examinations as well as the safety and legal status of international students in
their host country. Perhaps most importantly, the crisis raises questions about the value offered by a
university education which includes networking and social opportunities as well as educational
content. To remain relevant, universities will need to reinvent their learning environments so that
digitalisation expands and complements student-teacher and other relationships. Reopening schools
and universities will bring unquestionable benefits to students and the wider economy. In addition,
reopening schools will bring economic benefits to families by enabling some parents to return to
work. Those benefits, however, must be carefully weighed against the health risks and the
requirement to mitigate the toll of the pandemic. The need for such trade-offs calls for sustained and
effective coordination between education and public health authorities at different levels of
government, enhanced by local participation and autonomy, tailoring responses to the local context.
Several steps can be taken to manage the risks and trade-offs, including physical distancing measures,
establishing hygiene protocols, revising personnel and attendance policies, and investing in staff
training on appropriate measures to cope with the virus.
1.3 Problem statement

Learning had been paradoxical during ERL; to explain how students saw learning as versatile on the
one hand, but on the other, they saw it as demanding too [21]. Rahiem [21] further explained the
thirteen platforms used during ERL listed by the students were: e-book/e-journals, pdf documents,
YouTube videos, online meetings (Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams), WhatsApp, social
media (Facebook or Instagram), Google Classroom, e-mail, Google Search Engine, Podcasts,
educational websites, Audio Calls, and PowerPoint Presentations. WhatsApp was the primary tool
that was used by nearly every course during the ERL period. The students commented that ERL gave
them more time to be at home, take care of their well-being, spend time with relatives, and be more
creative, but at the same time, they found it difficult to balance their time. They pointed out that
technology, internet access and the devices used for online learning, were some of the more common
problems that arose [21].

As a continuation of that research, this study investigated what kind of technology limitations and
challenges in using ICT were present during ERL. This study explored this topic using the views and
experiences of the students. This study is useful in highlighting the students' perspective and what
they viewed as the technological problems and challenges in using ICT while studying online during
ERL. This pandemic is not yet over, and many countries continue to proceed with online learning,
including in Malaysia, so if the problems can be defined and analysed, then maybe it can help to solve
these issues going forward.

1.4 Research question

1) What are the challenges or barriers faced by students during ERL lesson ?* feeling *compare
*challenges *factors *think *share experience * like *teachers method *confident * skill developed

2) What are the advantage or disadvantage of ERL? * advantages*disadvantages *suggestions

*strength and weakness *positive effect learning via ERL * readiness for ERL

1.5 Aim of the research

This research is part of a study on ERL in Malaysia primary education during the COVID-19
pandemic. The main research objective was to examine the application of ERL within primary
education in Malaysia. This study focuses on a smaller part of the problem, which is about the
technology barriers and ICT challenges students faced while studying at home during the COVID-19
pandemic.

1.6 Research objective

This research was carried out with the following objectives:

1)to find out whether the ICT was useful for the student during ERL (Covid19)

2) to determine the advantages and disadvantages in ERL among students.

1.7 Significant of the study

The study will benefit the following in different ways:

Students in Sk Ulu Tembeling. They are the direct recipients of this study. After determining

whether the multimedia-aided instruction in Emergency Remote Learning (ERL) has a negative or

positive effect to students’ English performance, the teachers will be encouraged to either continue

utilizing it or reject it in the teaching-learning process of these students.

English Teachers. This study will give teachers and idea on what aid of instruction they will

employ to improve their students’ performance in English and to cater students’ needs.

School Administrator. The principal will benefit the success that may be achieved by

teachers once the result of this study will be developed. The performance of the teachers as well as the

students would bring a good performance to the school where the students and teachers belong.

Future Researchers. The findings of this study may be used by future researchers who will

conduct related investigation. They could utilize the current findings to support and substantiate the

future studies conducted.

All Teachers. The findings of this study will not only be limited to the teachers in Sk Ulu

Tembeling but as well as to the teachers in other schools so they can develop their teaching strategies.

1.8 Scope and delimitation

This research is limited to only 5 students of SK Ulu Tembeling. Their age is 12 years old.
 CHAPTER 2

Literature review

ICT

The developments in the use of the electronic media have influenced all walks of life. Education is no
exception to this. The use of computers and the internet for enhancing the quality of education by
making learning more relevant to life has been an ideal by educational institutions. The citizens of
tomorrow who are our students now are going to live in the age of the electronic media. How are we
preparing them for the same? Are we giving them technology-based Education? Are we giving them
exposure to the use of computers and the internet? Have we integrated the ICT into classroom
processes? What are the efforts made by the department in this direction? What does policy say about
ICT in Education? There are several such questions which we need to probe into. An understanding of
these issues will enable us to use the ICT more meaningfully in Education.

This makes ICT a lifestyle choice for much of the population. In addition, this lifestyle choice is
changing the way we communicate, increasing the rate of consumerism, and changing how we
interact and gather information (Sherringham, Dec 2008/Jan 2009).

ICT has invaded and transformed many aspects of our lives to the extent that we live in an
environment that is dominated by technology which itself is consumer-driven (Semenov, 2005). No
matter how we perceive its presence, there is no denying that it is an important part of our lives and
that it is here to stay.

1. E-learning or Online Learning: The presence of ICT in education allows for new ways of
learning for students and teachers. E-learning or online learning is becoming increasingly
popular and with various unprecedented events taking place in our lives, this does not only
open opportunities for schools to ensure that students have access to curriculum materials
whilst in the classroom but also allows them to ensure students outside the classroom such as
at home or even in hospitals can learn.
2. ICT brings inclusion: The benefits of ICT in education is of such that students in the
classroom can all learn from the curriculum material. Students with special needs are no
longer at a disadvantage as they have access to essential material and special ICT tools can be
used by students to make use of ICT for their own educational needs. Despite this, it opens up
new issues related to the 'digital divide' and providing access to ICT tools and resources for
those who are less fortunate.
3. ICT promotes higher-order thinking skills: One of the key skills for the 21st century which
includes evaluating, planning, monitoring, and reflecting to name a few. The effective use of
ICT in education demands skills such as explaining and justifying the use of ICT in producing
 solutions to problems. Students need to discuss, test, and conjecture the various strategies that
they will use.
4. ICT enhances subject learning: It is well known these days that the use of ICT in education
adds a lot of value to key learning areas like literacy and numeracy.
5. ICT use develops ICT literacy and ICT Capability: Both are 21st-century skills that are best
developed whilst ICT remains transparent in the background of subject learning. The best
way to develop ICT capability is to provide them with meaningful activities, embedded in
purposeful subject-related contexts.
6. ICT use encourages collaboration: You just have to put a laptop, iPad or computer in the
classroom to understand how this works. ICT naturally brings children together where they
can talk and discuss what they are doing for their work and this in turn, opens up avenues for
communication thus leading to language development.
7. ICT use motivates learning: Society's demands for new technology has not left out children
and their needs. Children are fascinated with technology and it encourages and motivates
them to learn in the classroom.
8. ICT in education improves engagement and knowledge retention: When ICT is integrated into
lessons, students become more engaged in their work. This is because technology provides
different opportunities to make it more fun and enjoyable in terms of teaching the same things
in different ways. As a consequence of this increased engagement, it is said that they will be
able to retain knowledge more effectively and efficiently.
9. ICT use allows for effective Differentiation Instruction with technology: We all learn
differently at different rates and styles and technology provide opportunities for this to occur.
10. ICT integration is a key part of the national curriculum: The integration of digital
technologies or ICT is a significant part of the Australian Curriculum for example, and this is
a trend that many global governments are taking up as they begin to see the significance of
ICT in education.
11. We live in a “knowledge economy": This is an economy where it is vital to have the ability to
produce and use information effectively (Weert, 2005). It is a time when ICT is pervasive and
permeates throughout all industries in the economy whether it may be health, education,
environment or manufacturing (Moon, Feb/Mar 2007). The significance of ICT in the
Australian economy was emphasised in the recent article by Alan Patterson, CEO of the
Australian Computer Society, in his statement that the “ICT industry now rivals mining in
terms of the contribution to the economy” (Patterson, Jan/Feb 2013, p. 8).

ICTs will continue to be a significant part of our future as it connects itself to more and more parts of
our lives. It will continually evolve and change because as consumers we all like a choice. We like to
use ICT for personal growth, creativity, and joy, consumption, and wealth (Semenov, 2005).
Importance of Students Engaging with ICT

It is important for students to engage with ICT so that:

1. Learn 21st-century skills and develop their ICT capability and ICT literacy.
2. Improves their attainment levels.
3. Prepares them for an integrated society dominated by ICT developments.
4. So that they learn the notion of using ICT as a tool for lifelong learning.

If you put a lot of thought into your planning, you will notice a higher degree of engagement and this
can lead to the development of 21st-century skills such as complex thinking, creative problem-
solving, and collaboration.

Technology integration in the classroom is an instructional choice by you, the teacher, and should
always involve collaboration and deliberate planning.

The term ICT means Information Communications Technology, and it is often used to talk

about computers and other technology use in schools. There are many ways to involve ICT in

language teaching and this study deals with how to use ICT within the teaching of English

grammar. Grammar has been taught in various ways throughout the history of language

learning. In the 19th century grammar was the most important part of learning a foreign

language, while during the 1980s grammar was not supposed to be taught at all (Tornberg

2007:103-104). Nowadays most people agree that some grammar might benefit the pupils, but

how it is to be taught is still a controversial issue.

The interest to involve computers in teaching was awakened in the 1970s and has since

then grown. Kenning (2007:105) suggests that two of the major advantages of ICT are that it

helps learners to gain control of their own learning and that it can help teachers individualise

teaching.

The Swedish Agency for Education, henceforth referred to as Skolverket, write in their

publication Education and Learning (Olson & Gustavsson 2011:75) that many Swedish pupils

already have access to laptops. In the summer of 2011 there were approximately 150 schools

that had provided computers for all of their pupils. Most of these schools were secondary or

upper secondary schools. This study focuses on three secondary schools in southern Sweden
where one has used ICT for three years, the second is on its first year and the third school

does not use ICT to teach English grammar at all.

When Skolverket did a research about IT use in schools in 2009, the results were not

satisfactory. Many schools lacked a strategy for how to work with ICT and only a fourth of

the teachers were using ICT in their teaching. The most important way to involve the

computer more in the teaching was said to be the interest, capability and motivation of the

teacher (Jämterud 2010:13). Because teachers are so important for the successful integration

of ICT in teaching, this study deals with the experiences and opinions of six English teachers;

two of them use ICT in their teaching of English grammar, two have recently started to use it

and two have not used it at all.

The author of this study chose to investigate ICT and grammar teaching to learn more

about how to use the computer in the teaching of grammar.

Online learning

2.1 theoritical/conceptual framework

Chapter 3

3.0 Introduction

This study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach as the method of inquiry. Research on
phenomenology examines the essence of the experience and discusses possible interpretations of a
phenomenon [26], [27]. The researcher collected and analyzed insights from university students on
what technology barriers they faced during emergency remote learning due to the coronavirus crisis.

3.1 Sampling
The researcher employed purposive sampling methods in selecting the study participants. Five
students of SK Ulu Tembeling. They were selected because they are articulate and willing to share
their views and experiences as per the nature of a purposeful sampling method in qualitative research.
They have studied in the faculty of education, and are training to become teachers themselves. They
had also enrolled in some courses in pedagogy: theory of learning, the psychology of education and
curriculum. The researcher assumed they would better understand the contexts and could explain the
current situation better than others in a similar situation, but who studied in other faculties.

3.2 Gathering Data

The researcher utilized variety of tools in gathering data. Due to the large-scale social restrictions in
place in Malaysia at the time of the research, in the absence of direct interviews, the researcher
collected data from the students using written media: diaries and essays. The participants wrote their
two-week daily learning experiences in a diary (May 4-18, 2020). They concluded their observations
and opinions on learning during the COVID-19 outbreak in a reflective essay, compiled on May 20,
2020. Following Patton's suggestion [28] to allow data triangulation by gathering data from various
data sources, the researcher also conducted one online focus group discussion sessions.

Moreover, these three kinds of data sources helped to develop a detailed understanding of the
phenomenon. Discussions were held once and the discussion lasted 60 minutes, and all the five
participants attended each time (May 26, 2020). The focus group discussions were also a member
check to enhance the validity and reliability of the results.

The researcher utilized Miles, Huberman and Saldana's two-stage coding model to interpret the
findings [30]. The two coding phases are not sequential events; the data had, in reality, been
continuously processed. During the first cycle, every essay and diary were coded separately by the
researcher. The researcher re-configured and re-analyzed the coded data in the first coding cycle
during the second stage. The second-cycle coding's main objective was to describe the categorical,
thematic, logical, and theoretical meaning of the first-cycle code set. The researcher revised the codes,
inserted some different codes and omitted a couple of codes to imply the results of the study. The
researcher made summative conclusions based on their interpretations based on the facts of the data
analysis. A description of the steps in conducting this research is as follows (Figure 1. Study
Procedures):
 Covid19

Pharmaceutical
approach

Travel Social
School closure Quarantine
restriction distancing

Emergency Remote
Learning
- lesson have shifted from
in person learning to
remote learning, primarily
through the use of ICT

What did student Qualitative

see as a phenomenologic Purposive
technology al study sampling
problem and (5 participants)
challenges in
using ICT while
studying online
during ERL
Data Collection Interview

DATA ANALYSIS : Theme’s Coding

STUDY RESULT : The researcher made assertions and then declarative

statement of summative synthesis.

Figure 1 : Study procedure

3.3 Credibility and trustworthiness

Ethical
CHAPTER 4

Findings * focus pada 4 theme

Chapter 5 *rumusan ikut rq. Rq 1 apa rumusannya..

Conclusion and discussion\