Impact of the Pandemic on School Systems Participating in the Responses to Educational Disruption Survey: Students', Teachers', and Principals' Perspectives

• In Event: The Impact of COVID-19 on Education: International Evidence From the Responses to Educational Disruption Survey

Abstract

"After the initial COVID-19 disruption that was accompanied by almost worldwide school closures, teaching and learning continued for many schools in a remote mode. Remote instruction was not yet an integral approach to teaching before the disruption; however, teachers, principals, and students needed to adapt to alternative teaching and learning methods as face-to-face teaching was interrupted. Online and offline methods were used. Online methods required resources, and already before the COVID-19 disruption, digitalization in teaching and learning have been integrated into traditional schooling, especially in more developed countries (Fraillon et al., 2020).

This paper presents selected international results that focus on three research questions. The first one looks at impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning and how these were mitigated by measures at the school level. The paper starts with a description of the conditions and the impact of the pandemic on classroom teaching and learning from the perspectives of principals, teachers, and students. It reports on the implementation of school closures, the nature of available resources, and changed approaches to teaching. Furthermore, it presents how students maintained contact with school staff during the disruption, how teachers’ and principals’ communication with other school staff, families, and students changed during the disruption, and examines the ways in which teachers provided student feedback and assessed student learning.

The second research question asks about impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on school staff and students, and how these were mitigated by measures within countries. The paper reports on what kind and intensity of support was provided to students. It further investigates how principals supported teachers at their school and how both principals and teachers supported students and their families during the disruption. Finally, it focuses on the emotional and physical well-being of students and teachers and the support provided for well-being.

The third research question focuses on what schools did to support students’ return to regular schooling, what were the persisting changes and their implications for schooling in the future. To mitigate the long-term consequences of school closures, it is vital that schools pay attention to student needs as they reopen. The paper covers the perspectives of students, teachers, and principals on the transition back to school after the disruption and how schools supported student learning and well-being during this time. The COVID-19 pandemic also provided an opportunity for developments, innovations, changes, and improvements that may endure. While some changes could be seen as improvements, others come with substantial challenges. The paper concludes with participants’ views on the future. Students reported about their confidence in being prepared for learning in the future, teachers about their opinions on the likelihood of the persistence of new teaching approaches and communication tools, and principals about the shifts in priorities and preparedness for future disruptions.
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Authors

• Mojca Rozman, IEA Hamburg

• Ming-E Chen, Indiana University

• Alec Kennedy, IEA Hamburg

• Sabine Meinck, IEA Hamburg