Impact of school lockdown on access to online instruction during the war in Ukraine

Abstract

AbstractQuarantine measures in connection to the COVID‐19 pandemic challenged the education system in Ukraine, like the education systems of other countries. This manifested over the course of three years in an increased need to develop distance learning online. Also, teacher ability to use digital tools, such as information communication technology (ICT), for instruction online is crucial in wartime circumstances in Ukraine. We describe the effects of school lockdown on teachers in Ukraine and how this affected teacher abilities to use distance instruction online in wartime circumstances. Drawing on a large‐scale survey of 54,254 educators conducted in January–February 2022, we report on challenges and needs identified by teachers in Ukraine. The survey collected responses from teachers and other categories of educators. Our analysis of survey findings focus on key challenges and needs of teachers and schools during the COVID‐19 quarantine. Respondents identified the following challenges: (1) lacking access to ICT equipment; (2) lacking access to stable high‐speed internet; (3) an insufficient level of knowledge and skills in using ICTs (digital competence). The study on which this article reports outlined possibilities for the professional development of teachers in Ukraine, complemented with a teacher self‐assessment of digital competence. The findings demonstrate that methods for organising online education in wartime circumstances in Ukraine benefit from the active interaction of all participants in the education process, their adaptability to changing learning conditions, continued communication about needs, notably teacher abilities to use ICT, and the ICT capacity of institutions.