Teaching Style Preferences and Online Teaching Practices of Optometry Teachers During COVID-19: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Purpose: Although research on teaching style preferences is available in the literature, there is limited information on the preferences of optometry teachers. The Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has impacted educational practices in all sectors. This study focuses on the teaching style preferences and online teaching practices of optometry teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and Methods: The study used a case study research design and a self-administered online questionnaire and follow-up semi-structured interview for data collection. The Grasha-Riechmann teaching style inventory was used to explore the teaching style preferences (Expert, Formal Authority, Demonstrator, Facilitator and Delegator). Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis respectively. Results: The optometry teachers were aged between 29 and 51 years (median = 45 years) and had between 3 and 25 years of teaching experience (median = 5 years). All teachers scored high in the Expert teaching style and most had scores categorized as high for the Delegator, Facilitator and Formal Authority teaching styles. The teachers reported that the initial adaptation to online teaching was difficult and challenging as they were not prepared for the rapid transition to online learning. They used various resources and materials but felt that student participation and engagement was lower in online teaching. Teachers noted that more time was needed to prepare materials for online teaching than for face-to-face teaching. Conclusion: Optometry teachers adopted a multidimensional approach preferring the different teaching styles to varying degrees. Teachers noted challenges with the initial transition and adaptation to online teaching and used a combination of resources to support student learning.