In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift to distance learning worldwide. Although recent research has focused on the impact that this transition had on students’ education and well-being, little has been done in particular on math education and on math anxiety (MA). Since MA is believed to be linked to the teaching methods, it could be hypothesized that the new learning environment affected MA levels. Thus, this study investigated whether students’ levels of MA evaluated before and during the first wave of the pandemic changed as a consequence of the distance learning implementation. Moreover, we were interested in investigating whether students’ satisfaction with the teaching methods, their effort in math, and their academic achievement were correlated to MA before and during the COVID-19 distance learning. Participants were 117 Italian middle and high school students. No significant differences between pre- and mid-pandemic MA were found when considering the entire sample. Analyzing separately, results indicated that high-MA students reported significantly lower MA levels during distance learning, however no difference was observed for moderate- and low-MA individuals. Furthermore, satisfaction with the teaching methods, effort in math, and math achievement were negatively correlated with MA, both before and during distance education.
School closures because of the COVID-19 emergency forced a rapid transition to distance learning worldwide. In this study, we investigated teachers’ experiences with distance learning during the first Italian lockdown. A sample of 270 primary and secondary teachers answered a semi-structured questionnaire administered between April and May 2020. Didactic modalities, students’ and teachers’ difficulties with distance learning, and teachers’ feelings during school closure were investigated through open-ended questions. Content analysis indicated that most teachers adopted both synchronous and asynchronous modalities, which resembled the traditional classroom learning environment. Moreover, technological weaknesses (lack of proper digital equipment and poor digital skills) and lack of interactions appeared to be the main threats to the quality of distance learning. The implementation of distance learning in primary schools emerged as more challenging than in secondary education. Furthermore, most teachers experienced negative feelings during online teaching. However, 13% of the sample reported a sense of resilience and opportunity. Particularly, older teachers reported more resilience compared with younger teachers, indicating the importance of experience in managing stressful teaching events. Overall, findings suggest that—in this novel educational environment—teachers’ role has changed significantly, placing strong emphasis on the ability to encourage communication, discussion, and contact with students. Future work should focus on how information and communications technology could sustain meaningful interactions between students and teachers, especially in primary education.
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