School-going students are not the only ones to find the transition to online classes on account of the pandemic difficult. A survey amongst teachers by the maths app Countingwell has revealed that 90% teachers saw significant increase in their workload during the pandemic.
When asked about their daily workload and how it has been affected by online classes, nearly 45% of the respondents reported an increase in work north of two hours per day. However, about one-third (30%) of the respondents feel that ready-made lesson plans and worksheets can help reduce this workload. Additionally, 54% of the respondents believe that learning apps aid them with tools and complement online classroom learning.
Around 400 teachers took part in the survey, which focused on middle-school teachers and analysed various aspects such as changes in teachers’ workload and what tools can help teachers reduce it, the most efficient teaching method, and the rise of learning deficit in students.
Nirmal Shah, cofounder of Countingwell, said, “While there are insights on the effects of online classes among students, there are negligible studies on how teachers are coping with this sudden shift in teaching methods. Our survey aimed to fill this gap and sought to bring out their perspective on how far they have adjusted to online teaching, and what are their biggest challenges in teaching online effectively.”