Teacher Perspectives on Breakout Rooms in Online Education in a K-12 Bilingual School in China

With a purpose of enhancing the current literature surrounding breakout room use, and focusing on teachers' experiences, this study assessed the viability of using breakout rooms in online classes. It employed a mixed methods research design to shed light on the use of breakout rooms during and after the COVID pandemic. From a survey of 113 teachers, employed in a Bilingual Chinese school, it was clear that respondents felt they needed further training to maximize the effectiveness of their use of this function (96%). They were of the opinion that groupwork is one of the most effective ways of increasing student participation and speaking time. This opinion was seconded both by the school's educational technologist, who was interviewed in detail and asked to reflect on the survey, and the literature more generally. Beyond this, there was a significant correlation between the opinions of Primary and Secondary teachers, while discursive responses also supported this data. At both levels, breakout rooms were generally used for group presentations, group and pair discussions, differentiated learning and group research.