The educational effects of emergency remote teaching practices—The case of covid-19 school closure in Italy

Abstract

The disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic generated an unprecedented situation, in which digital learning, in the form of Emergency Remote Teaching, was the only possible form of schooling. Italy soon decided to close schools as a measure to counter the spread of the virus. Although the Ministry of Education suggested general guidelines, school principals and teachers were autonomous in deciding how to best organise their educational activities. The first objective of our study is to identify subgroups of teachers, based on the use of digital tools during the Covid-19 emergency. Secondly, we explore how subgroups differ in terms of teachers’ satisfaction and students’ performance. To this end, we integrate information from an ad hoc survey completed by 1,407 primary and lower secondary teachers in Italy, with the students’ standardised test scores provided by INVALSI. Data have been analysed through a 3-step latent class analysis. The findings reveal that one third of the teachers showed resistance to the use of digital technologies and focused mainly on asynchronous teaching. Teachers that used a broader set of digital instruments, instead, were more satisfied with their teaching practices. A more articulated use of technology for teaching activities was also positively associated with higher students’ performance in 2021.

Effects of COVID-19-targeted non-pharmaceutical interventions on pediatric hospital admissions in North Italian hospitals, 2017 to 2022: a quasi-experimental study interrupted time-series analysis

“…On November 6th, 2020, the Italian Government enforced a three-tiered restriction system on a regional basis, using periodic risk assessments by the Ministry of Health ( 32 ). Italy also enforced one of the longest school closures in the world ( 14 ). Educational institutions of any grade were shut down from late February up to September 2020, after which schools were reopened and mitigation measures were kept in place, such as mask wearing and reduced student social contact, as well as mandatory distance learning for at least 75% of the time in high schools ( 32 ).…”

“…The timing and intensity of NPIs against COVID-19 all over the world varied greatly according to local situations ( 7 ). Italy, starting from the Northern regions, was the first European country to be affected by the pandemic ( 13 ), and enacted very aggressive restrictive policies, including one of the longest school closures in the world ( 14 ).…”

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Transition to Emergency Remote Teaching

“…The recommendations included paying special attention to certain groups of students who were more affected by the transition to ERI. Bertoletti, Soncin, Cannistrà & Agasisti (2023) aimed to identify subgroups of teachers, based on the use of digital tools during the COVID-19 emergency, and to explore how subgroups differ in terms of teachers' satisfaction and students' performance in Italy. The methodology involved a 3-step latent class analysis of data from an ad hoc survey completed by 1,407 primary and lower secondary teachers, integrated with the students' standardized test scores provided by INVALSI.…”

The heterogeneity of Covid-19 learning loss across Italian primary and middle schools

“…At the same time, some Italian schools were able to implement innovations and positive experiences to improve their education experience and help their students during the period of school closures ( Agasisti & Di Blas, 2021 ). More recently, Bertoletti et al. (2023) report that a broader use of digital tools for teaching was associated with higher standardised scores of Italian students (INVALSI).…”