Preschool teachers' perceptions of preschool education during Covid-19 in Greece: a diary-interview study

Abstract

Preschools all around the world had recently been forced to adopt Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) as a means to encounter the Covid-19 pandemic. While online teaching and learning has already been employed in higher education for many years, this was the first time it had been implemented in preschool classrooms. The current study aimed to investigate preschool teachers’ experiences of formal education during the transition between ERT and face-to-face education in Greece. Teacher diaries were collected over a four-month period, followed by online interviews with the teachers. Both data sets were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings indicated that ERT had a short-term negative influence on children’s behaviour and eagerness to engage in interpersonal social interactions upon their return to preschool. Teachers further reported that the measures adopted by the Greek Government as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on children’s learning, belonging, development and participation and failed to meet young children’s needs. The appropriateness of remote teaching as a mode of learning for preschoolers is discussed.