Remote Teaching and Learning in Early Primary Contexts: A Qualitative Study of Teachers and Parents During the COVID-19 Lockdown

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in temporary school closures across the world, increasing pressure on educators to rapidly cultivate new skills. This novel research examines the implementation and impact of remote teaching and learning in early primary contexts in Canada from the perspectives of key stakeholders. There is a particular need to investigate the impacts of the pandemic in early primary contexts, as teaching in the early years is primarily play- and inquiry-based and comes with its own unique challenges. Data collection took place in April–June 2020 and included 45-min semi-structured interviews with educators (n = 25) and parents (n = 11). Data analysis included an emergent thematic approach and resulted in five themes parent involvement, role of educators and administration, curriculum and pedagogy, focus on formative assessment, and recommendations for improvement. Findings of this research can be used by policy makers and Ministries of Education as they work to address the global education crisis and mitigate educational challenges for those who matter most the students, parents, and educators. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.