Identifying the Dimensions and Skills Necessary for Effective Teaching in Virtual Education from University Professors' Perspective: A Phenomenological Study Using the Giorgi Method

The use of virtual education and digital tools in the teaching process does not automatically lead to the success of university education systems or the realization of educational goals; rather, it is the effective use of these tools that contributes to professors' effective teaching. Defining and measuring effective teaching is not an easy task because effective teaching requires two-way communication between the learner and the instructor. In order to teach, the instructor first pays attention to students' individual characteristics and growth levels, and accordingly, adopts teaching strategies. The literature review showed that higher education professors play a key role in the effectiveness of their teaching in the virtual space. This key role is initially observed by paying attention to students' wants and needs, and then by having knowledge of electronic tools and creating content. Therefore, examining university professors' opinions about the characteristics of effective teaching in virtual education is of paramount importance. Given professors' key role in holding virtual classes and their knowledge and understanding of the dimensions and components of effective teaching in virtual space, this study aims to identify the dimensions and skills necessary for effective teaching in virtual education based on the opinions of Tehran University professors.

The qualitative research approach with a descriptive phenomenological method was selected for this study. Accordingly, the data were collected and analyzed using the Giorgi method, a criterion-based purposeful sampling method, and semi-structured interviews with eighteen participants. Giorgi analysis is a precise, clear, and step-by-step method that has five steps: familiarization with the data, identification of semantic units, regrouping of semantic units into clusters, conversion of semantic units into descriptive expressions, and combining and integrating them. To improve the credibility of the study, member checking, peer debriefing, external audit, thick description, and prolonged engagement were employed.

The results of this study led to the identification and classification of four dimensions and twenty-one components to measure effective virtual teaching in universities. These include: 1) the individual dimension (with four components: a- the role of developers, b- the role of professors and their personality traits, c- the role of students and their personality traits, and d- individuals' professional development), 2) the skills, competencies, and abilities dimension (with eleven components: a- pedagogical skills of education, bteaching skills, c- developing skills, d- knowledge of using electronic content, etechnology skills, f- professors' specialized competence and ability, gcommunication skills, h- the skill of developing students' participation, ipsychological skills, j- the skill and ability to relate course materials to the needs of society and the market; the link between theory and practice, k- the ability to evaluate students in a virtual environment, k- classroom management skills), 3) the infrastructure, equipment, and facilities dimension (with two components: aprofessors' and students' lack of access to digital tools and b- high-speed, stable Internet), and 4) contextual factors in effective teaching (including four components: a- the timing of classes, b- the role of the family, c- rules and regulations, and d- attention to professors' and students' physical and mental health).

The findings emphasized the differences between the virtual platform and the face-to-face platform, the redefinition of the roles of developers, professors, and students in the virtual space, professors' and students' personality traits, the importance of professors' skills, competencies, and abilities, as well as the significance of infrastructure, equipment, facilities, and contextual factors. According to the results, it is suggested that professors use self-directed learning methods and professional learning groups based on cooperation and learning communities to improve their abilities in digital skills, digital literacy, digital thinking, technology, content production, and platform usage. Furthermore, in their teaching in virtual classes, professors should pay attention to creative communication and interactive methods, as well as the use of technological capacities to create psychological actions, especially enhancing learning motivation. They should also utilize digital facilities to provide feedback and assign various tasks to their students.