Enhancing Online Classroom Interaction: Insights From Elementary School Teachers In Tasikmalaya, Indonesia

Abstract

This research was motivated by the change in the face-to-face learning process from school to technology-based distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is related to online-virtual classroom management, which explores information on how elementary school teachers manage online-virtual classroom interactives. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative with open questionnaire data collection techniques. The research subjects were elementary school teachers in Tasikmalaya, Indonesia as many as 84 people. The management of teacher interactivity in virtual-online classes is viewed from three indicators, namely: creating the right climate, providing learning space, and managing the interaction of teaching and learning activities. The researcher observed the interaction of teachers and students in the learning process, and then the teacher described the learning process on an open questionnaire containing questions about managing virtual-online classes. The results of his research show that, on the indicator of creating a learning climate, most teachers use group chats and virtual classes to interact with students using interactive question and answer learning methods and lectures. The teacher's efforts to increase learning motivation by offering awards in the form of praise and positive comments, while improving intrapersonal relations is done by making assignments and holding group discussions. As for the indicators of preparing a study room, most teachers make rules by giving additional points, and setting the time and collection of assignments. Then, on the indicators that manage the interaction of learning activities, most teachers often hold questions and answers and discussions and communicate well by routinely greeting, asking how they are, and appreciating student performance.