Teaching during COVID-19: The Decisions Made in Teaching

Abstract

The emergency caused by COVID-19 and the transition to distance learning has made teachers face novel decision-making situations. As the teachers’ pedagogical decisions have an impact on the students’ learning experience, the aim of this study was to describe and explain what influenced the teachers’ teaching-related decisions and how these decisions were reflected in the teaching process during distance learning. The study was based on semi-structured interviews with 16 Estonian basic school science teachers. The data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. The results show that teachers’ teaching-related decisions were influenced by factors that were related to the existence of digital tools as well as to the ability to use them purposefully in the home settings of teachers and students. Teachers’ teaching decisions were mostly motivated by short-term goals, such as maintaining students’ social interaction and supporting student motivation. The desire of teachers to keep students’ and teachers’ own workload affordable was also considered as a factor influencing teachers’ teaching-related decisions. According to the interviews, the switch of focus to workload and well-being and valuing socialization and student motivation over subject matter competences seems to be unique for this new situation.

Global emergency remote education in secondary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The use of breakout rooms for students to work together in groups was particularly engaging (Education Scotland, 2021) and interactive approaches for social online meetings, such as scavenger hunts and trivia were particularly popular (Easterly et al, 2021). Allowing students to use the chat function within live lessons also promoted peer interaction and peer teaching (Hodgen et al, 2020), as did providing social time at the beginning and end of lessons for students to catch up with each other in a more informal setting (Lepp et al, 2021).…”

Anti-crisis management in Higher Education institutions of Ukraine during the Covid-19 pandemic

“…outbreak" (Pressley, 2021). It is recommended to gather systematic feedback from the students and faculty members and take it into account while planning and conducting the educational activities and setting up goals (Lepp et al, 2021).…”

Evaluation of Students’ Remote Learning Experience of Learning Arabic as a Second Language During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…The lesson plan includes the aims and objectives of the topic or course, describes the topic, and shows the activities to be undertaken during learning, which helps the teacher assign the work at the appropriate time planned for it (Rybalko et al, 2020). The teacher has a role in regulating the students' behavior, given that the learning process is long distance and therefore there is no face-to-face interaction (Lepp, Aaviku, Leijen, Pedaste, & Saks, 2021). This is done by setting actions to follow in case of any breach of the students' rules.…”