Adapting to the situation caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in schools with children mostly from disadvantageous background

K. Nagy, Emese (2021) Adapting to the situation caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in schools with children mostly from disadvantageous background. In: Agria Média 2020. Eszterházy Károly Egyetem Líceum Kiadó, Eger, pp. 148-168.

Preview

Text 148_168_KNagy.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, people’s everyday life, and has also had an impact on schools. The aim of our paper is to show how primary schools have coped with the transition to digital learning where the proportion of disadvantaged and cumulatively disadvantaged students is between 50% and 80%. The schools included in the study are the institutions of the education district of South Borsod, one in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. We anticipate that due to the low number of items in the sample (a total of 6 schools), the survey can be considered representative of the education district and it cannot with regard to the county or the country. The research covers a two-month period from the start of the crisis, i.e. the closure of schools. The research started with an online questionnaire, which provided information on what tools and competencies students and teachers have for the transition to digital learning, and then in a structured interview, we wanted to find out whether it caused difficulties and what they thought the advantages and disadvantages of the coercive solution were. From the answers given by the heads of the institutions in the interviews, we learnt about the level at which they were able to tackle the shift to digital learning in the institutions, how they were able to organize distance learning, and what assistance they provided to their colleagues, students and parents during this crisis. The findings of the research are enriched by the fact that we had the opportunity to conduct unstructured, telephone interviews with students and parents about their experiences of online learning. The findings of the research show that the teachers of disadvantaged schools dealt successfully with this difficulty in these particular circumstances. Their competencies and the equipment available enabled them to implement online teaching of proper quality, but despite their preparedness, it also became clear that they also encountered other problems and factors for which it proved impossible to prepare when the coronavirus began to spread. At the same time, an important part of our finding is that all “participants” (teachers-students-parents) have made significant progress in using digital tools and platforms, which is likely to have an impact on education and hopefully it will launch innovations or reforms.

Actions (login required)

Edit Item