Portuguese primary and secondary education in times of COVID-19 Pandemic: an exploratory study on teacher training and challenges

The discussion about the use of digital technologies in education is not new. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the total closure of schools around the world, that forced millions of students to attend their classes from home, has demonstrated the importance of this discussion. It has highlighted t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Henriques, Susana (author)
Other Authors: Correia, Joana Duarte (author), Trindade, Sara Dias (author)
Format: article
Language:eng
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/11343
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:repositorioaberto.uab.pt:10400.2/11343
Description
Summary:The discussion about the use of digital technologies in education is not new. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the total closure of schools around the world, that forced millions of students to attend their classes from home, has demonstrated the importance of this discussion. It has highlighted the need to revisit debates about the interactions between technology and education, and the added value of digital resources to enhance the educational process. This article, based on an exploratory analysis, aims to understand how the transition from face-to-face to digital was accomplished in Portuguese primary and secondary education, namely regarding teacher training and the difficulties experienced during the emergency remote education period. The data analysed in this article were collected through an online questionnaire, disseminated through online social networks, and answered by 136 Portuguese primary and secondary education teachers. The questions focused on this article were open-ended, and the information collected was analysed using content analysis methodology. The results show how teachers have been forced to modify their pedagogical work, the importance of training, and the inherent challenges and critical reflections associated with the process, as well as the opportunities presented in a post-pandemic educational reality.