Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Proctoring Tools and its Impact on their Well-Being during Online Examinations at an ODeL Institution

Abstract

Academic integrity has been a serious concern in online assessments, resulting in most higher education institutions (HEIs) using proctoring. This paper explored pre-service teachers’ perceptions regarding proctoring tools during online examinations at an ODeL institution and investigated its potential impact on their well-being. This qualitative study used document analysis on the twenty e-mails purposively selected to provide narratives exposing pre-service teachers’ underlying emotions and anxieties when taking proctored online examinations. The theory of planned behaviour and the PERMA model assisted the researcher in conducting document analysis using ATLAS.ti 23 software to generate codes. Similar codes were later merged to formulate themes for a deeper exploration of experiences, emotions and concerns that students raised about using the proctoring tool. The results revealed that pre-service teachers experienced challenges like slow network or load-shedding and technical challenges that hindered them from accessing exam papers and uploading their answer scripts. This triggered negative emotions like frustration and sadness, affecting their well-being. By understanding students’ experiences, educational institutions, policymakers and technology developers can collaborate to make informed decisions regarding implementing proctoring tools. The study recommends that higher education institutions consider students’ well-being during online assessments, by providing workshops on coping strategies and proctoring processes before online examinations are taken, to prepare students and alleviate fear and anxiety. Institutions should also ensure that their software service providers regularly update their proctoring tools to reduce the challenges that these tools might pose during online examinations.