Abstract
This study focused on teachers’ experiences and perceptions of the challenges and opportunities for teaching literature in English in an online situation. This study is important due to the increase in online learning since COVID-19. While online learning was initially an emergency response to the pandemic, it has become a popular alternative to the face-to-face classroom. This study aimed to examine whether the face-to-face classroom provides a better learning experience than the online classroom. This was done by examining the perceived benefits of the face-to-face classroom and examining whether these benefits can be applied to the online platform. This was done with the use of Vygotsky’s learning theory and exploring how learners learn. The research design was a qualitative case study as it allowed the researcher to delve deeper into data provided by teachers and find meaning in the challenges they faced online, as well as any benefits they experienced. The sampling was purposive and convenient and interviews were used to collect data as well as journals and policy documents. Coding and chunking were used to organise the data and find the meaning within the text. The findings show that overall teachers had a negative experience of the online classroom as they felt that learners did not gain an authentic learning experience and struggled far more online than in the face-to-face classroom, however, teachers did acknowledge that there were some positives to online learning but felt that the lack of resources made online learning difficult and excluded a number of learners. In conclusion, the study identifies the limitations of this research and recommends further research and improvements that could be made in the education sector.