E-Leadership and Distance Education in Greece during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The paper attempts to investigate how contributive primary school principals’ e-leadership proved to the work and preparation of teachers for the implementation of the Distance Education during the covid-19 pandemic. By employing quantitative modes of enquiry and specifically a significant number of questionnaires, we concluded that the teachers’ level of education doesn't affect their opinion towards the degree of the school principals’ contribution to their work and preparation or the implementation of distance education, contrary to their educational experience. Moreover, the majority of teachers who participated in the research consider the presence and involvement of the electronic leader as important.

Preschool Education and Distance Education: Teachers’ Opinions About Present Status and Future Possibilities

“…The reference to connectivity and networking issues is also noteworthy. The above data are in agreement with several data of international research (Angelopoulou, 2021;Gkoros & Bratitsis, 2021;Foti, 2020;Sari & Nayir, 2020;Rasmitadila et al, 2020;Salman, Alkathiri & Bawaneh, 2021;Hosszu & Rughinis, 2020;Churiyah et al, 2020;Hebebci, Bertiz & Alan, 2020;Sikirit, 2020). Therefore, the creation of a wide-scale modernization of the material and technical infrastructure of the schools must be accelerated, as well as giving incentives to the citizens to modernize their own home facilities as well.…”

“…The vast majority of kindergarten teachers in our research report lack of readiness and familiarity with distance education while they consider that distance education, as it was applied, does not meet the basic principles of Greek Curriculum for Pre-school education. Teachers showed a similar low level of readiness and familiarity in other recent research (Gkoros & Bratitsis, 2021;Churiyah et al, 2020) although there were cases of research in which the level of readiness was mostly in adequate levels with their data leading to the conclusion that there was a corresponding improvement and progress during the implementation of Distance education (Angelopoulou, 2021). Therefore, the state could implement some courses in order for teachers to become familiar with educational innovations in the field of distance education.…”

“…In Greece, the Ministry of Education issued a circular on the implementation of distance education in terms of Primary and Pre-school education clarifying that distance teaching is sought to keep alive the contact and the interest of students with the educational process (Greek Ministry of Education, 2020). Kindergarten teachers were requested to use digital skills to meet the modern needs of distance education, although the use of these skills in everyday teaching practice is scarce due to the lack of access to the Internet and technological and digital media, which is duly noted not only in our research but also in other recent researches (Doyumgac et al, 2021;Erkan & Sedat, 2021;Gkoros & Bratitsis, 2021;Gkoros & Papageorgiou, 2020;Fis Erumit, 2020). This phenomenon derives from the fact that most schools suffer from inadequate digital infrastructure and financial inequalities of students' families which become an unambiguous obstacle to equal access in distance education.…”

“…This phenomenon derives from the fact that most schools suffer from inadequate digital infrastructure and financial inequalities of students' families which become an unambiguous obstacle to equal access in distance education. Generally, in pre-school education the use of ICT in the educational process presents several difficulties of implementation, which are related to the lack of administrative and logistical infrastructure of schools (Gkoros & Bratitsis, 2021;Slaouti & Barton, 2007;Butler & Sellbom, 2002;Pelgrum, 2001;Guha, 2000) and the lack of teacher training (Gkoros & Papageorgiou 2020;Dayal & Tiko, 2020).…”