Not great, not terrible: distance learning of chemistry in Russian secondary schools during COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak has influenced virtually all aspects of our life, in particular, hundreds of millions of people around the world have been forced to study online. To observe the practical realization of emergency remote teaching of chemistry during the first wave of COVID-19 in Russia we gave the survey to 217 teachers and 355 students from more than 50% regions of Russia about their experience during distance learning of chemistry. 17% of students were lacking chemistry lessons at all. We compared this with the situation in Letovo international boarding school in Moscow and found relative success in terms of lessons adaptation and overall satisfaction compared to the Russia-wide survey. This might be because of the fine educational organization effort and implemented learning management system (LMS). There is a high probability of a second COVID-19 wave or any other occasion that may lead to sudden change to distance learning. Teacher community should learn from world-wide and country-wide experiences of the first COVID-19 wave to become prepared for future challenges. Those preparation measures may include implementing LMS and strategy development.

Evolution after the Revolution: How Classical and Online School Chemistry Teaching Has Changed during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…Questions in both questionnaires were adapted from the initial study run at the beginning of the pandemic 21 and supplemented with questions from other articles concerning similar issues. 23,24 The questionnaires for teachers and students are presented in the Supporting Information. In March 2022, online questionnaires were sent to 50 Slovak chemistry teachers (K7−K12) by email.…”

“…The research was based on two questionnaire forms, one for teachers and one for students. Questions in both questionnaires were adapted from the initial study run at the beginning of the pandemic and supplemented with questions from other articles concerning similar issues. , The questionnaires for teachers and students are presented in the Supporting Information.…”

Science teaching in BRICS: A systematic review of pedagogical approaches and challenges

“…This similarity suggests a shared understanding of the value of interactive and experiential learning in science education. For instance, South Africa (e.g., articles by Akuma & Callaghan, 2019;Ramnarain & Rudzirai, 2020) and Russia (e.g., articles by Anokhin et al, 2021;Malyuga & Petrosyan, 2022) show a significant inclination towards collaborative learning, while India (e.g., articles by Pareek, 2013;Pathare et al, 2018) stands out for its extensive use of hands-on activities. Such approaches are indicative of an educational focus that values student interaction and practical engagement in learning processes.…”

Indicators of senior high school students’ performance in online chemistry learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Parallel to this, the pandemic has revealed numerous chances for new and inventive forms of education and digitization in educational systems all over the world, allowing them to "learn lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic that could make educational policies more evidence-based, inclusive, responsive, and transparent" [13]. But the shift from conventional face-to-face chemistry instruction to online chemistry instruction can be a completely different experience for students and teachers, which they must adapt to with few or no other options about modifications in lessons, homework, and learning techniques [14]. Due to the virtual nature of classes with online and distant education, teaching and learning chemistry that necessitates some practical activities, such as lab demonstrations and hands-on modeling, has become more difficult [15].…”