A Phenomenological Approach of Virtual Education in ‎the Education System: Opportunities, Challenges and ‎Solutions

Virtual education refers to an approach to teaching and learning that uses information and communication technologies to communicate and collaborate in an educational environment. The aim of this study was to identify the opportunities and challenges of virtual education. The research design was qualitative and of the phenomenological approach. The participants included 18 teachers, principals and technology experts working in education in Lorestan province who were selected by purposeful sampling method in the academic year 2020-2021. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi''s method. The accuracy of the data was obtained through the methods of triangulation, peer review and respondent validation. The results showed that 10 main themes and 26 sub-themes were identified. Increasing effectiveness and quality of education, flexibility and expansion of education opportunities, improving interaction and communication, and economic savings were classified as the most important virtual education opportunities. In addition, the key themes of virtual education challenges included issues related to students, teachers, content delivery and quality of education, culture, infrastructure and technology, and social interaction. In general, this study provides a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges of virtual education in the Iranian education system.