Adapting Through the Pandemic: Educators' Micro-Innovations to Support Ninth-Grade Transition During COVID-19

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Challenges in Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The transition from middle to high school is a critical step in students’ academic journeys, often posing social and academic hurdles. Remote learning during COVID-19 compounded the challenges students face during this transition. In response, some educators created what we have called micro-innovations -- small, strategic shifts in instruction or support designed to address challenges that arose from school closures and virtual/hybrid learning environments. This project investigates how educators developed micro-innovations from new and unexpected opportunities afforded through one of the most challenging learning contexts — that of transitioning to high school and during a global pandemic. These findings can help other educators consider how they might develop their own adaptations and micro-innovations through difficult times.

Authors

• Bianca Licata, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Thomas C. Hatch, Teachers College