Challenges for Distance Learning and Online Collaboration in the Time of COVID-19: Interviews with Science Teachers

Abstract

Much of the research about distance learning and online collaboration comes from higher education or adult learner contexts. Less is known about the experiences and challenges of school teachers involved in instructing young teenagers remotely. In response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the government of Estonia ordered national school closures and established a temporary period of distance learning. This sudden move to online education was unexpected and required school teachers to quickly adjust. In this study, we interviewed five middle school science teachers about 5 weeks after the start of school closures. Prior research indicates that even during regular times, maintaining teenagers’ interest for science studies is challenging. Our aim was to find out how science teachers had adapted their teaching at a time of unprecedented educational disruption, what challenges they encountered and to what extent they applied collaborative learning practices. All of the teachers reported using video conferencing tools to engage in synchronous communication with students. In addition, they all reported using school learning management systems to share information. However, none of the teachers felt that the distance learning situation was conducive to supporting collaborative learning. We discuss the main challenges mentioned by teachers and some of the implications for the design and development of online collaborative technologies and practices. Our findings highlight that establishing cognitive, social and teaching presence with young teenagers appears to be the main challenge for distance learning. Difficulty in establishing social presence was apparently a particularly serious barrier for school science teachers to promote collaboration at a distance.