Cross-cutting issues in Google Classroom use: Attitudes of undergraduate trainee teachers at one state university in Zimbabwe

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Cross-cutting issues in Google Classroom use: Attitudes of undergraduate trainee teachers at one state university in Zimbabwe

Cuthbert Pisirai
Department of Teacher Development, Great Zimbabwe University

Abstract: – The study explored the undergraduate student teachers’ attitudes towards the use of the Google Classroom remote online teaching and learning. The qualitative research approach was employed and the Technological Acceptance Model was used to guide the research. The research participants were drawn from undergraduate full-time, final year students at one selected state university in Zimbabwe. The research participants comprised seventeen females and three male students. The study was necessitated by the need to establish cross-cutting issues in the use of Google Classroom in the Covid 19 era. The research study used online questionnaires which were administered through the WhatsApp platform. (Makurumidze, 2020). The research found out that students generally liked the Google Classroom application but formed some negative attitudes based on accessibility, affordability and flexibility. The study recommends financial and material support to cushion the student teachers in accessing data bundles and compatible gadgets for use in the Google Classroom. The study further recommends the training of students in the use of the Google Classroom.

Key words: Google classroom, cross-cutting issues, attitudes, affordability and accessibility.

I. INTRODUCTION

The deadly and infectious disease, Corona Virus, also known as Covid-19, has deeply affected the global economy and education in particular has been extremely affected, as schools, universities and colleges have, all of a sudden been closed for face to face teaching and learning. The hopes of any nation are pinned on education which is used as a rainbow of hope for all its aspirations and survival. Universities, in particular, are used as engines of development due to their research output and innovativeness. The Covid 19 pandemic has cast a dark cloud of hopelessness where there used to beoptimism. There is collective grief amongst nations globally as teaching and learning has been pushed into the virtual space. According to Dhawan (2020), the whole world is on quarantine due to the serious outbreak of this global Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, many cities have turned into phantom cities and the effects of the pandemic can be seen in schools, colleges, and universities.

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