The Impact of Online Classrooms on Teachers’ Roles: A Quantitative Study of High School Teachers’ Perceptions in Tehran

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of online classrooms on teachers’ professional roles from the perspective of high school teachers in Tehran during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: The study was conducted using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design in 2020. The statistical population consisted of high school teachers working in public and private schools in Tehran, from which 320 teachers were selected through multistage cluster random sampling. Data were collected electronically using the Online Teaching Self-Efficacy Inventory and the Teachers’ Role Perception Questionnaire. The instruments assessed dimensions including instructional strategies, technological competence, communication effectiveness, classroom management, student engagement, and role transformation in online education. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, and multiple regression analysis were performed using SPSS version 27. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05.

Findings: The findings indicated significant positive relationships between all dimensions of online classroom experiences and teachers’ role transformation perceptions. Technological competence demonstrated the strongest correlation with teachers’ role transformation (r = 0.72, p < 0.01), followed by communication effectiveness (r = 0.70, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis revealed that online classroom dimensions collectively explained 66% of the variance in teachers’ role transformation (R² = 0.66, p < 0.001). Technological competence (β = 0.341, p < 0.001) and communication effectiveness (β = 0.318, p < 0.001) emerged as the strongest predictors of teachers’ changing professional roles. Additionally, teachers with previous online teaching experience reported significantly higher levels of technological competence, communication effectiveness, and role transformation compared to teachers without prior experience (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The results demonstrated that online classrooms significantly transformed teachers’ professional roles by increasing the importance of technological competence, communication skills, instructional flexibility, and virtual classroom management. The findings suggest that successful adaptation to online education depends heavily on teachers’ digital readiness and professional flexibility. Educational systems should therefore strengthen teacher training programs, technological infrastructure, and institutional support mechanisms to improve teachers’ effectiveness and well-being within digital learning environments.