Croatian Pupils' Perspectives on Remote Teaching and Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

On March 16th 2020, the Croatian government mandated a nationwide closure of schools and introduced remote teaching and learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study explores the perspectives of pupils in the 7th grade of elementary education regarding this period of remote teaching and learning. The study aims to examine the level and determinants of pupils' satisfaction with newly implemented practices and to explore their perception of remote teaching and learning in comparison to classroom practices. An online survey was conducted with 920 pupils from 23 elementary schools in Zagreb between May 25th and June 6th 2020. The results indicate average satisfaction levels and a weak ability of the model to predict pupils' satisfaction based on a set of individual pupil characteristics. Pupils' interest in using digital devices and fathers' educational status were the only significant predictors of satisfaction. On average, pupils perceived remote teaching and learning as unfavourable in terms of quality, task load and effort in comparison to classroom practices. There was, however, a small cluster of pupils (15%) who associated remote teaching and learning with higher-quality practices.

How students report about their education experiences during the first year of Covid-19 pandemic?

“…Some of these reports might represent the means young people used to reflect and work through the negative elements of the crisis. Most of the difficulties that students have noticed are in agreement with previous research mentioned in the introduction (Bdair, 2021;Džamonja Ignjatović et al, 2021;Kovács Cerović et al, 2021;Ristić Dedić & Jokić, 2021;Scott et al, 2021;Vasojević et al, 2021), but also with those findings from even before the pandemic (Wong, 2007), indicating technological limitations and personal issues connected to e-learning, compared to regular learning i.e. the classroom practice.…”

“…There has been a growing interest among researchers regarding the organisational changes in the schooling system during the pandemic and particularly emergency remote teaching and learning (Ristić Dedić & Jokić, 2021;Stančić & Senić Ružić, 2021). The Covid-19 pandemic is considered both an opportunity and a challenge especially for higher education (Toquero, 2020), as well as a disorienting social experience and an opportunity to engage in learning processes (Koulaouzides, 2021).…”

Mišljenje učenika o nastavi na daljinu, osjećaj dosade i percipirana akademska kontrola u kontekstu nastave na daljinu

“…Primjerice, učenicima je važan izravan kontakt s učiteljem te im je važna mogućnost trenutne povratne informacije u slučaju nejasnoća. Što se tiče brojčane ocjene nastave na daljinu, prosječna ocjena nešto je viša od ocjene u prethodnim istraživanjima (Ristić Dedić i Jokić, 2021;Runtić i Kavelj, 2020).…”

Differentiated Instruction Around the World. A Global Inclusive Insight

“…This practice was continued in the 2021/2022 school year. Over time, isolation and self-isolation have become an integral part of our lives, and there has been a growing concern among educators, especially psychologists, for the psychological and social development of children (Ristić-Dedić & Jokić, 2020). One of the ways in which teachers attempted to reduce feelings of anxiety due to reduced social contact among students was through the introduction of cllaborative and cooperative 4 online learning.…”