Author: Tuyizere Alice Peace
College of Education and External Studies (CEES)
Makerere University, P.o. Box,7062, Kampala, Uganda.
Emails; peacetuyizere@yahoo.com
aptuyizere@cees.mak.ac.ug
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges and opportunities of online teaching of Religious Education in institutions of Higher Education in Uganda in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic and lock down. The study employed interpretive research paradigm because it focused on peoples’ experiences regarding challenges and opportunities arising from online teaching of RE to generate the meaning of the phenomenon being investigated. The target population comprised of postgraduate students of education offering humanities because they had a rich experience of information about challenges and opportunities of using online learning platforms. Eight students specializing in RE were purposefully selected because they possessed the characteristics the research sought for namely; were teacher trainees in the field of RE; were familiar with challenges /opportunities associated with RE online learning platforms. Data collection instruments employed by the study were interview guides and observations guides. Data was analyzed qualitatively. Data analysis involved identifying key ideas, concepts, incidences and feelings from responses captured from study participants. These were then interpreted and categorized thematically as aligned by the study objectives. Study findings indicated that prolonged school closure created opportunities for RE teachers’ trainees to engage in e-learning. It also enhanced close relationships between parents and teachers of their students, teacher-student interactions, and student-to-student interaction using online opportunities. The study concluded that COVID-19 and lockdown have not only intensified technology use as a critical tool to support remote learning but it also has its challenges. The study recommended that stakeholders should strengthen opportunities of e-learning that have been ushered in by COVID 19 while addressing challenges that undermine E-learning.
Keywords: COVID 19 pandemic, lockdown challenges, lockdown opportunities, online teaching, Religious Education, Higher Education challenges, Higher Education opportunities, E-learning opportunities, E-learning challenges
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Suggested Citation
Tuyizere, A. P (2020). Covid 19 pandemic and lockdown: Examining the challenges and opportunities of online teaching of religious education in institutions of Higher Education in Uganda. African Research Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 8(1), 32-44. Available online at http://arjess.org/education-research/covid-19-pandemic-and-lockdown-examining-the-challenges-and-opportunities-of-online-teaching-of-religious-education-in-institutions-of-higher-education-in-uganda.pdf
