Is work from home (WFH) feasible for university language educators in the post COVID-19 era?

• Main Authors: Khong, Hou Keat, Chuah, Kee Man, Siti Nabilah, Ahmad Sanusi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Wollongong 2023
• Subjects: L Education (General); LB2300 Higher Education
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/42617/3/Is%20work.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/42617/; https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol20/iss6/21/; https://doi.org/10.53761/1.20.6.21
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

This study investigated the effects of work from home (WFH) on language educators in Malaysian universities gauging specifically their perceptions on its advantages and disadvantages during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-methods research design was employed involving 152 language educators. The results revealed that although the overall mean scores were rather neutral, language educators were more inclined toward positive effects of WFH, most notably in terms of saving commuting time and being closer to family. However, the negative effects were missing colleagues and feeling glued to the computer. The results also shed interesting insights into Malaysian language educators’ high confidence in focusing on their tasks and using tools to fulfill their teaching and work-related responsibilities. The outcome from this study is a guiding model that not only informs the literature on the feasibility of WFH in the higher education context but also highlights pertinent areas of concern for its future planning and implementation.