The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education at all levels in various ways. Institutions and teacher educators had to quickly respond to an unexpected and ‘forced’ transition from face-to-face to r...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02619768.2020.1821184

COVID-19 and teacher education: a literature review of online teaching and learning practices

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Teachers Make a Difference.

The pandemic and subsequent ‘lockdowns’ dramatically changed the educational landscape of higher education institutions. Before-COVID-19, traditional universities had choices in pedagogical practice, which included a variety of teaching delivery modes. Overnight, a single mode of delivery became the only option for traditional higher education institutions. All services migrated to digital platforms, leading to a period of “emergency eLearning”. The full impact of this sudden shift to digital platforms on all cohorts of students is still unclear. A measure of disruption to the normal student learning experience, especially for those attending traditional universities, was inevitable. Moreover, this disruption was varied depending on the University’s country and the country’s lockdown logistics. This international, comparative, quantitative research project investigated and explored higher education students’ perceptions of emergency eLearning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experiences of students at universities in three countries were evaluated in terms of four dimensions: (1) home learning environment, (2) engagement, (3) participation preference, and (4) impact on learning skills. The research revealed significant differences between the participating universities students’ experiences. The most important differences were in the ‘home learning environment’, followed by ‘engagement’ and the perception of ‘impact on learning skills’. The differences in the ‘home learning environment’ can be attributed to the differing economic and digital development of the surveyed countries: South Africa, Wales, and Hungary. Finally, different cultural backgrounds suggest a noticeable difference in student engagement, participation, and learning skills.

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Higher Education Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning during COVID-19—A Comparative Study

This article is accompanied by the following guide: Jindal‐Snape, D., Hannah, E. F. S., Cantali, D., Barlow, W. & Macgillivray, S. (2020) Context and Implications Document for: Systematic Literature Review of Primary‒Secondary Transitions: International Research https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3198 Acknowledgement We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Dr Evelyn Bowes (Scottish Government). Funding This study was funded by the Scottish Government and the paper is partially based on the report written for them.

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Systematic literature review of primary‒secondary transitions: International research

In response to calls for integration of “21st Century” (21C) teaching and learning practices into classrooms, this paper examines some mathematics and science teachers’ perceptions of the predictors for, and barriers to, such integration in second-level schools (for students typically aged around 12 to 18). Data are provided by responses to a questionnaire from an Erasmus+ project, Teaching for Tomorrow (TfT), involving teachers in Ireland, Sweden, Estonia and Germany. The definition of 21C skills given by Ravitz, Hixson, English, and Mergendoller (2012), emphasising a project-based, collaborative, and student-led pedagogic approach, provides a framework for the study. The questionnaire was developed from those of Ravitz et al. (2012) and Euler and Maaß (2011), and elicited quantitative and qualitative data. Of the 145 respondents, 70 listed mathematics or science as one of their teaching subjects. Patterns of answering for the 70 respondents are similar across participating countries. System restrictions and resources are perceived as major barriers to integration of 21C practices; however, classroom management and teacher beliefs also impact on confidence with, and frequency of use of, these practices in the classroom. TfT is addressing these issues through targeted professional development and the creation of associated resources. The work is based on the model developed by Bridge21, an initiative undertaken by Trinity College Dublin to promote an innovative learning environment that is team-based, technology-mediated, project-based, and crosscurricular, in line with 21C teaching and learning.

Teachers and student teachers co-creating: relatedness, agency in supporting inclusion, and meaningful participation in research

Although there is ample research into student engagement in online learning, much of this investigates the student experience through surveys administered at a fixed point in time, usually at the exit point of a single unit of study or course. The study described in this paper, by contrast, aimed to understand online student engagement over a whole semester, guided by two overarching questions: What factors impact students’ engagement over a semester? What factors account for fluctuation in engagement levels over time? This paper presents results from weekly feedback on online education students’ engagement over the length of one semester at a regional Australian university. It also chronicles in more depth the experiences of one student across the same semester. The findings offer longitudinal accounts of student engagement, demonstrating that levels of engagement fluctuate and are influenced by a variety of factors.

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Chronicling engagement: students’ experience of online learning over time

The transition from primary school to secondary school has long been recognised as one of the most challenging times in a young adolescent students’ education, particularly in regard to their academic achievement. Research evidence from the last 30 years has identified a consistent pattern in students’ academic achievement across transition, suggesting that student achievement stalls or even declines in the first year of secondary school. The focus of this research was to identify teachers’ perceptions of the best practices to prepare students for a successful transition to secondary school. The findings were based on 12 one-on-one interviews with primary (Year 6) and secondary (Year 7) teachers. Teachers’ responses were analysed qualitatively through a process of thematic analysis. Findings from the research identified three key methods which primary and secondary school teachers believed were essential for facilitating successful transition experiences for students: curriculum continuity and awareness, communication between primary and secondary schools, and adequate teacher support.

The transition from primary to secondary school: Teachers’ perspectives

Adolescent literacy achievement has been, and continues to be, a hot topic in the educational community, with concerns about students' literacy capabilities consistently dominating the educational landscape, particularly in the area of reading. What is known from years of educational research, high stakes testing and teacher testimonials is that reading is an area of difficulty for many adolescent students. The focus of this research was to investigate adolescents' reading attainment at one of the most important times in a students' educational career; the transition from primary school (Year 6) to secondary school (Year 7). Seven co-educational government schools from the state of Tasmania, Australia, participated in the research, whereby a combination of primary and secondary schools from both rural and urban areas were included. Conducted over a two phase process, the research utilised the Progressive Achievement Test in Reading (PAT-R) to determine changes in students' reading ability. Methods of quantitative analysis were utilised; these employed a series of statistical tests. Results revealed that, for the overall cohort, students' PAT-R scores significantly declined from Year 6 to Year 7, indicating that the transition to secondary school can have serious negative effects on students' reading attainment as they transition into secondary education. The research findings raise attention to the impact that transition can have upon adolescent students' educational success and concludes with suggestions for how schools and educators can enhance the transition process and support students into effective secondary school literacy learning.

Students' reading achievement during the transition from primary to secondary school

This research explored the impact that transition, the move students make from Year 6 to Year 7, had upon adolescent students‟ reading and spelling achievement. The research also sought to investigate teachers‟ perceptions of the transition phase. Based on Vygotsky‟s socio-cognitive learning theory and his notion of a student‟s zone of proximal development (ZPD), the study was guided by six research questions. Three questions explored the impact of transition on students‟ literacy achievement as determined by the Progressive Achievement Test in Reading (PAT-R) and the Single Word Spelling Test (SWST). These included an exploration of the type of transition students undertook (internal transition, staying on the same campus or external transition, changing school campuses) and school socioeconomic status (SES). Three questions were also asked to gather data about the types of programs and practices teachers were using to teach literacy and prepare students for the transition into secondary school.
Ten coeducational government schools from the state of Tasmania were chosen for the research. A combination of primary, secondary and district schools from both rural and urban areas were included. Two groups of participants were included in the investigation: students and teachers. Student participants consisted of 244 adolescents, who ranged in age from 11 to 13 years old. A total of 19 teachers from primary, secondary and district schools constituted the second participant group. The research took place over three phases. In phase 1, students completed the PAT-R and SWST whilst in their final year of primary school (Year 6). In phase 2, students completed the PAT-R and the SWST for a second time after they had transitioned to secondary school (Year 7); and in phase 3, teacher participants undertook a series of one-on-one interviews with the researcher.
Data were analysed using a mixed methods approach. Students‟ test data were analysed quantitatively using a series of statistical analyses, including ANOVA and MANOVA tests. The analysis revealed that, for the overall cohort, students‟ PAT-R scores significantly declined from Year 6 to Year 7. In comparison, students‟ SWST scores remained steady from Year 6 to Year 7. Students from only one school experienced increases in both their PAT-R and SWST scores across transition. Teacher participant data were analysed qualitatively using a modified approach to thematic analysis, and three common patterns emerged from this analysis. The results revealed that teachers from separate primary and secondary school campuses engaged in less communication than teachers from district schools. Primary and secondary school teachers also perceived a greater lack of curriculum continuity and awareness between Year 6 and Year 7 than district school teachers. All teacher participants stated that an increase in teacher support was needed to enhance the transition experience for students.
In conclusion, this study presents three distinctive contributions to the understanding of the primary to secondary transition. First, attention needs to be paid to the transition phase and the impact this can have upon students‟ literacy achievement. Second, greater communication and increased levels of curriculum continuity and awareness are needed between primary and secondary school campus teachers. Finally, an increase in teacher support is needed to enable teachers to promote and support successful transition experiences.

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Transition to Secondary School: Student Achievement and Teacher Practice

Educators and educational researchers are committed to better understanding the needs of young adolescents and developing the most effective and efficient ways to support students through school. One area which has received ongoing attention in the research field is adolescent students’ achievement in literacy (Christenbury, Bomer, & Smagorinsky, 2009; Du Toit & Bouwer, 2009; Freebody, 2007).

Belinda Hopwood

Papers

Chronicling engagement: students’ experience of online learning over time

The transition from primary to secondary school: Teachers’ perspectives

Students' reading achievement during the transition from primary to secondary school

Transition to Secondary School: Student Achievement and Teacher Practice

Literacy and Students’ Transition into Secondary School