“I will give you some suggestions on how to improve teaching/learning during the pandemic” - a thematic analysis of the answers of 5th grade elementary school pupils

Abstract

The present paper is part of some broader research, which aimed at examining the perceptions of pupils, teachers, parents, and undergraduate students related to online and combined (online and classroom) teaching/learning in the Republic of Serbia during the pandemic. Methodology: The topic analyzed in this paper related to suggestions put forward by students? and intended for their teachers or the school, on how to make teaching/learning during the pandemic better. Data were collected in the form of narratives. A thematic analysis of the responses of 5th-grade elementary school pupils in the Republic of Serbia was used. Responses were collected during the first half of 2020. The students? suggestions concerned the organization of classes and compliance with protection measures. The pupils wanted their schools and teachers to organize classes as before the start of the pandemic. The teachers instructed the pupils to keep track of TV/online lessons and complete additional tasks that they sent them during the combined classes. Most of the surveyed pupils prefer classroom teaching/learning. The obtained findings can be considered as a modest contribution to a better understanding of this issue, which is still relevant, due to the current pandemic conditions.