Abstract

The 2019 Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has resulted in the closure of all schools in Malaysia and forced all teachers to conduct Home-based Learning (HBL) for their students. This resulted in a change of teacher practice in terms of pedagogy as they need to implement online teaching in the pandemic era. Storytelling is a teaching method commonly practiced by the teachers in the classroom and now teachers have to resort to digital storytelling due to the pandemic.

This pilot study aimed to find out the teachers’ perceptions towards the use of digital storytelling in conducting HBL during the pandemic. This study utilised a survey on the demography, teachers’ experience in using digital storytelling, the common methods and the challenges in digital storytelling among a group of primary school teachers. The sample involved 38 teachers from two primary schools in the state of Johor and the instrument was a questionnaire distributed through Google Form. The data were analysed descriptively and the findings showed that the overall level of teachers’ experience of using digital storytelling was low (m = 2.24) and the three challenges that were faced the most by the teachers were internet problem, lack of technological skills and the need to finish the school syllabus.

This study suggests teacher readiness as one of the important elements in helping teachers and students adapt to the new learning environment during the pandemic. The implications are the planning and implementation of university and teacher education programmes and courses or training that focus on pedagogy and skills in the use of digital storytelling for prospective teachers and school teachers.