Open AccessThrough Thick and Thin: Lower Secondary School Students’ Barriers to Learning under Covid-19 Conditions
Author(s) -
Rasa Nedzinskaitė-Mačiūnienė,
Eglė Stasiūnaitienė,
Gerda Šimienė
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ceps journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 2232-2647
pISSN - 1855-9719
DOI - 10.26529/cepsj.1103
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , covid-19 , mathematics education , psychology , online learning , pandemic , literacy , transition (genetics) , face (sociological concept) , higher education , empirical research , qualitative research , pedagogy , medical education , sociology , medicine , political science , computer science , social science , philosophy , law , pathology , epistemology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , chemistry , world wide web , biochemistry , gene
At the global level, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the whole education system, ranging from pre-school to higher education. Without any prior preparation, the teaching process has undergone a massive transition from face-to-face to distance learning. This transition has posed many challenges. This article aims to reveal what barriers to learning lower secondary school students face and how schools can minimise these barriers. A systematic review of the academic literature from two well-known databases, EBSCO and ScienceDirect, was performed to identify and determine the prevailing consistencies and gaps. The empirical study follows a qualitative research design: an explanatory case study. The data were collected through observations of online lessons, interviews with teachers and the school principal, and students’ reflections. In addition, an inductive thematic analysis was employed. The empirical results help to identify secondary school students’ barriers to learning in terms of learning accessibility and technological literacy; planning and reflections on learning; self-regulated learning and active involvement; and emotional and psychological well-being. Furthermore, the study highlights how a school can minimise these barriers.