This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of English and German language instructors regarding the opportunities and challenges for classroom management created by the hybrid education setting. The participant group included 21 instructors (17 EFL and 4 German). Participating instructors were employed at the School of Foreign Languages, and they were actively teaching in the hybrid education model developed by the school. A convenient sampling strategy was adopted while determining the participants. The study adopted a qualitative research design, and the data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative data was analyzed by following the content analysis procedures. The findings were presented through the emerging codes and themes. The results showed that the participating instructors faced varying challenges in terms of classroom management in the online classes. The study findings revealed a good deal of research evidence on the divergent training needs of instructors because the instructors found it hard to implement their traditional classroom management strategies in online classes. Planners and policymakers are provided insights for setting clear responsibilities and rules for learners during the online courses and providing in-service training opportunities for instructors as the new conditions call for innovative strategies to implement effective classroom management practices to contribute empirically, contextually, and policy.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the learning process shifted from face-to-face learning to online learning as schools and universities were closed almost worldwide. After the pandemic restrictions, it seems that many educational institutions continue to offer online courses as an alternative to face-to-face classes, or they have begun to implement hybrid programs in which the students have both face-to-face and online courses. With the shift from face-to-face to online learning, the learning process has been affected negatively from different perspectives with varying degrees; however, the interaction between instructors and students has become more challenging to pursue at expected levels. Students tend to avoid interacting for many different reasons in the online learning process, or the instructors have some obstacles to a sound interaction with their students. By exploring the experiences and perceptions of the English language instructors, this descriptive study aimed to examine the perceptions of instructors regarding teacher-student interaction in online classes, the challenges faced by the practitioners, and their suggestions for course designers, policymakers and other related stakeholders. The researchers employed a qualitative research approach. The participants were 17 instructors working at the school of foreign languages at a state university. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the qualitative data. The data was analysed by following the content analysis procedures. The findings reported insights into the interaction issues in online classes; the instructors had negative perceptions of the interaction in online classes due to the challenges they faced. In the light of the qualitative data, the present research offers valuable suggestions for decision-makers and practitioners, such as taking the participation of the learners into consideration in assessments and providing in-service training programs for EFL instructors.

The study aims to reveal the perceptions of EFL learners regarding peer collaboration and communication in online and face-to-face classes. Online classes were already on the agenda of many educational institutions with the growing interest in utilising various digital platforms; however, with the COVID-19 epidemic, the process accelerated and offering online classes became an urgent necessity for schools and universities. This radical and sudden change presents both opportunities and challenges for universities and students. One of the challenges is fostering the foreign language literacy of the learners and pursuing effective communication and collaboration among students in online classes. The study adopted a qualitative research design with the aim of exploring the phenomenon from the inside out. The students in the participant group are actively learning English at a state university in hybrid education conditions. As the participating students are exposed to both face-to-face and online teaching practices simultaneously, they are expected to have the ability to compare the two types of instruction in terms of peer communication and collaboration. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to reveal the perceptions of the EFL learners, and the qualitative data were analysed by utilising the content analysis procedures. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed that the EFL learners found face-to-face classes more effective, and they credited the real classroom setting in that it creates more authentic and sincere communication opportunities for them. On the other hand, some opportunities created by the online classes were also stated by the participating students; in addition, some valuable suggestions were also offered by the participants for the improvement of online classes.