Teaching Interrupted: Pedagogical Changes in STEM Learning Practices as It Relates to the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Division K Section 1 Poster Session: Teaching, Teacher Education, and Professional Development in the Content Areas

Abstract

At the onset of the pandemic, K-5 teachers were forced to shift their teaching practices from face-to-face instruction to virtual instruction. Effective STEM instruction and a teacher’s pedagogical practices for K-5 students posed a significant concern. Exploring a teacher’s pedagogical practices before the closing of schools and during emergency remote teaching (ERT) for STEM instruction is the center of this study. The results indicate that there were no significant changes in terms of direct instruction before or during remote learning. Still, there was a noticeable decrease with hands-on experiential and student-centered instruction. Teacher’s self-reporting of their shift in pedagogical practices highlights the need for further professional development and online resources for practical hands-on experiential and student-centered learning during remote learning.

Authors

• Kimberly Arnold Mahovsky, University of Northern Colorado

• Hyun Jung Kang, University of Northern Colorado

• Matthew David Farber, University of Northern Colorado