Using Mixed Methods to Understand Teaching and Learning in COVID 19 Times

Abstract

This research focuses on teaching–learning behavior in the online environment under crisis conditions, such as those caused by COVID-19. Data were collected from 427 participants from Central and Eastern Europe and North and Central Asia. An integrative mixed method design was used, combining components of both qualitative and quantitative research. The research method used was the inquiry based on a semi-structured questionnaire, which combined closed items with open-ended and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative results revealed significant differences between professors and students regarding the self-reported adaptability level, creativity, need for help in online teaching–learning, and collaboration with colleagues for solving problems in the online teaching–learning medium. The opinions of professors do not differ from those of students regarding the advantages, disadvantages, vulnerable areas, and aspects of online education. Thematic analysis, used to analyze the qualitative data, emphasized the participants’ perceptions of online teaching–learning efficiency in crises. Based on the results, it was concluded that the aspects that need to become a priority in online education concern mainly the didactic quality of the learning experience.

ICT Skills of University Students from the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…However, the author indicates that their understanding of the technology is often quite superficial. Recent research on teaching in the context of the COVID-19 situation emphasizes that students must become more autonomous in reading and in understanding guidance in online learning [45].…”

Intentional Teaching: Building Resiliency and Trauma-Sensitive Cultures in Schools

“…Educators must be intentional in building classroom communities that create connection to the students and that foster connections between students. The transition to remote learning creates a shift in classroom milieu when students can no longer receive non-verbal cues from the reactions of educators and other students that must be considered when planning online learning communities [52,55]. When educators and students meet in person, they can readily recognize when the material is not resonating for a student or when a lesson plan needs to be extended or adjusted based upon what they can see from students' reactions, however, this can be quite different in a virtual environment and requires creativity and flexibility to build a community that fosters what may have come naturally before.…”

“…Educators will also need to be provided with home-based teaching materials that allow for ease of instruction. This includes providing accessible online resources and the consideration of incorporating open access materials to provide additional learning opportunities for students [14,55].…”

“…While educators are revered as experts in their subject matter and have practical teaching experience in a traditional classroom, this does not readily translate into expertise in delivery of instruction online [54]. Educators will benefit from professional development that focuses on pedagogical differences in online learning and developing skills in the use of e-learning tools for assessment and instructional delivery [9,11,53,55,57,63]. This includes ways to effectively create classroom climate, encourage student engagement, and ways to provide feedback in real time to students thereby decreasing experiences of confusion and isolation [50,54].…”

Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on University Students’ Learning

“…Unexpectedly, a whole generation of young people has had to continue its education in a different way in an unusual situation. New factors and rules have appeared and have exerted influence over the successful completion of the current level of their education [1][2][3]. The transmission of coronavirus reflected not only on the training but also on the safety and the professional realization of the students, especially for vulnerable young people.…”