Using SHĀD application and television teaching during Covid-19 pandemic outbreaks: shortcomings and challenges

With the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of education obliged teachers and students to use TV (Television) teaching and SHĀD application to continue formal education. In order to evaluate the SHĀD application and TV teaching programs, this study was designed and conducted. Questionnaires were developed to collect data on the experiences of students and teachers and they were shared in SHĀD application. A total of 85,372 primary school students and 12,778 primary school teachers participated in this study. Findings showed that smart cellphones were the most accessible tool among both students and teachers. 72.4% of students and 90% of teachers reported slow speed of SHĀD application for downloading and uploading files. 78 % of primary school students considered the time of TV programs as little. 88.6 % of them mentioned that their teachers taught lessons better than teachers in the TV teaching programs and 82.9 % of them did not have a close relationship with a TV teacher. Near 40 percent of students commented that they are satisfied with TV teaching programs and TV teacher. Overall, teachers’ difficulties with SHĀD application could be classified into four categories including 1) monitoring and controlling the students' learning, 2) technical problems of SHĀD application, 3) lack of teachers' skill and finally 4) lack of access to internet. Around 35.2 % of the teachers believed that TV teaching programs were appropriate to compensate for the lack of face to face education in the classrooms. These findings could be used for improving these programs as well as the integration of digital technologies in the teaching and learning processes in Post-Covid-19 education at schools.