EFL students’ emotional experiences of online learning during Covid-۱۹ pandemic: the role of pedagogy in focus

With the rise of the Corona virus pandemic, “emergency remote teaching”, and student isolation, attention to students’ emotions and feelings has taken more precedence. Building upon genealogies of emotions (Zembylas, ۲۰۰۸), this study attempts to explore EFL students’ emotional experiences in online courses during a whole educational terms. To this aim, ۸۷۳ emotion diaries from ۶۸ students were analyzed for positive and negative emotions as well as the sources of those emotions. Results indicated that students’ negative emotions aroused as a result of the Corona-virus outbreak and the resultant isolation and mental problems, conditions of remote learning from home (e.g. intrusion, lack of concentration, and falling sleep in front of monitor), inadequate ICT infrastructure and technical problems, workload and course requirements, as well as students’ own attributes such as lack of confidence and motivation as well as low English proficiency. Students’ positive emotions were also related to localization and personalization of the content, students’ use of learning strategies, the availability of class records for future review, and socializing with instructors. Furthermore, online assessments and exams and teachers’ pedagogical practices gave rise to both positive and negative emotions and the instructor was found to be the main source of students’ emotions in online courses. The results were then discussed with reference to the importance of the instructor and appropriate pedagogical practices in remote teaching. This study has implications for teachers and university instructors as well as policy makers and planners in the design and development of future online courses.