Education In Times Of Crisis Research Articles

Moroccan Higher Education in Times of Crisis: a Phenomenographical Analysis of Teachers Experiences with Emergency Remote Teaching

With the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) has abruptly become the mainstream activity in higher education institutions globally. While, in such turbulent times, this mode of instruction has unarguably imposed itself as a lifeline for education continuity, serious concerns remain about faculty preparedness for this massive shift, especially in educational context where online teaching is still in its embryonic stage. This paper reports on a phenomenographical study examining Moroccan university teachers’ experience with ERT and its impact and implications on their instructional quality and post-pandemic practice. Data were collected, using focus group discussions, from a purposive sample involving 36 university teachers from four higher education institutions. Despite some variance in the respondents’ experiences, the findings clearly indicate that teachers were prematurely immersed in online teaching with very little institutional supportive action. Based on the data, teachers faced various and overwhelming challenges significantly hampering their overall online pedagogical responsiveness. Importantly, teachers’ experience with ERT has not exposed their urgent need for professional development in the area of online delivery, but also triggered major changes in their mindset especially in relation to post-pandemic technological acceptance and use.

واقع إدارة أزمة جائحة كورونا (كوفيد 19) في الجامعات الليبية

هدفت الدراسة إلى تسليط الضوء على واقع إدارة أزمة جائحة كورونا (كوفيد 19) في الجامعات العامة (الحكومية) الليبية. ولتحقيق هدف البحث تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، واستخدمت الملاحظة كأداة لجمع البيانات والمعلومات. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى مجموعة نتائج أهمها أن واقع الدور الذي تقوم به الجامعات العامة الليبية في إدارة أزمة جائحة كورونا (كوفيد 19) لم يكن عند المستوى المنشود، بالإضافة إلى عدم وجود وعي كافي بأهمية وحدة إدارة الأزمات لدى إدارات الجامعات، وغياب استراتيجية مدروسة وفاعلة لحماية فرص التعليم والتعلّم في ظل أزمة جائحة كورونا (كوفيد 19)، نتج عنه عدم تمكن معظم الجامعات العامة الليبية من التحوّل إلى التعلّم عن بُعْد. وقدمت الدراسة عدة توصيات منها ضرورة إنشاء وحدة متخصّصة لإدارة الأزمات ضمن الهيكل الإداري بالجامعات العامة الليبية، وضرورة تطوير استراتيجيات جديدة في التعليم عن بُعْد لضمان استمرار التعليم في وقت الأزمات.

Inclusive Education in Times of Crisis

Marginalized children and youth can benefit the most from education innovations, particularly those that support inclusive practices.

Achieving Learning Outcomes of Emergency Remote Learning to Sustain Higher Education during Crises: An Empirical Study of Malaysian Undergraduates

The sudden switch to emergency remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges for learners, but it also provided the opportunity to research these challenges. This study empirically examines the relationships of the contextual challenges of emergency remote learning with future preference for e-learning, as well as moderating effects of learning outcomes on future preference for e-learning of undergraduates during the closure of Higher Education Institutions. Participants were drawn from two universities in Malaysia practising emergency remote learning during the survey period. Underpinned by the literature, the challenges of emergency remote learning and future preference for e-learning were operationalised into items reflective of each factor. In total, 352 valid responses were collected via a self-administered questionnaire hosted on Google Forms, and responses were analysed with Eviews statistical software. In this study, the significant challenges associated with future preference for e-learning, in descending order, were disadvantages (negative), learning outcomes, and advantages. Additionally, the interaction between learning outcomes and disadvantages has a positive relationship, reversing the original negative relationship of disadvantages with future preference for e-learning. Sustainability of higher education in times of crisis is critical. This study provides valuable insights concerning the importance of achieving learning outcomes in order to support sustainable higher education using emergency remote learning during similar future crises.

Музыкальное образование в регионах: кризис целей

To decentralize the music education in Russia, it is necessary to find a way to expand the job market by creating new jobs in non-central regions, which can be achieved by developing the cultural infrastructure. In many regions of Russia, young musicians do not have the possibility to do the full cycle of music education; as a result, they are constrained to leave their hometowns and study in large cultural centers, then find a job there. This process leads to cultural impoverishment in minor towns of Russia, which reduces the motivation to pursue a professional training in music arts. This situation reflects general tendencies in the development of education in times of crisis: the goals are unclear, and the potential demand for many professions may decrease in the future. A measure that could help prevent the crisis would be developing education in humanities to increase the quality of life for the entire society and grow human capital.

Internationalization of higher education in times of crisis: search for the optimal concept

In order to find the optimal model of internationalization of higher education in crisis times, it is important to consider various theoretical and practical approaches. The first approach focuses on the global nature of education, on understanding the university as an international organization or as a global factory that produces knowledge and innovation. The second approach focuses on competition between universities and countries. The third approach focuses on national priorities and denies the role of globalization of higher education. A common feature of these three approaches is the desire of universities to improve the quality of education and the competitiveness of their graduates. Growing tensions on the global political arena and attempts to isolate Russia from the outside world reduce the relevance of the first approach in its original sense. The authors of the study conducted comparative and sociological research to define the modern internationalization model and find out whether high school students are prepared to participate in the international activities of the university in the new realities and what motivates them. Based on the results of the analysis of internal and external environment, the authors choose and describe as the most relevant the integrative model of internationalization, as it combines the most topical characteristics of modern approaches to the organization of international activities of the university.

Navigating European education in times of crisis? An analysis of socio-technological architectures and user interfaces of online learning initiatives

This study casts light on two online learning initiatives funded by the European Commission, and queries their role as policy actors in the long-term project of a “borderless” European Education Area and/or in the remediation of the so-called “refugee crisis.” Particularly, the study aims to contribute to existing research on the policy enactment of European education spaces, while also addressing their implicated times. Social topology has guided a theoretical-conceptual focus on bordering practices, socio-technological architectures, and user interfaces, and their enactment of forms of Europe. This informed the methodology to center around active navigations on user interfaces of these online learning initiatives, based on the argument that these concretize bordering practices and forms of spaces-times. The findings, presented as re-constructions of the active navigations, stress multiple possibilities EC-funded online learning initiatives to evolve, including shifting responsibilities and differentiated learning trajectories. By highlighting these possibilities, the study aims to interpose the relatively short development of digitalization in (European) education, in which digital technologies have been positioned as “flexible” solutions in times of crisis. The study thereby stirs up discussions on how European online learning initiatives could integrate long-term visions with crisis remediations and, accordingly, could support continuously renewable educational spaces-times.

Sustainable Math Education of Female Students during a Pandemic: Online versus Face-to-Face Instruction

The present study was driven by the assumption that a key feature of sustainable education is its ability to preserve standards of quality even amid unforeseen, potentially disruptive events. It asked whether students’ academic success in math general education courses differed between synchronous online (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and face-to-face (before the pandemic), under the ancillary assumption that computational competency, a pillar of sustainable education, shapes enduring success in a variety of professional fields. As the early identification of at-risk students and ensuing remedial interventions can bring about academic success, the study also investigated the predictive validity of students’ initial performance in online and face-to-face math courses. Two general education courses (introductory calculus and statistics), taught by the same instructor, were selected. Class grades did not differ between instructional modes, thereby providing no evidence for the widespread concern that the switch to the online mode had damaged learning. Yet, during the semester, test and homework performance were differentially sensitive to modes of instruction. Furthermore, both test and homework performance during the first half of the semester predicted class grades in online courses, whereas only test performance predicted class grades in face-to-face courses. These results suggest that sustainable math education in times of crisis is feasible and that educators’ consideration of the differential predictive value of test and homework performance may aid its attainment.

Governing education in times of crisis: State interventions and school accountabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Strategic government interventions in public education have shifted and blurred the boundaries between state, market and civil society modes of governance. Within this matrix of interdependent relations, schools operate under increasingly hybrid accountability arrangements in which public accountability can both complement and compete with market and social regimes and their associated institutional logics, goals, values and mechanisms. During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, national governments implemented a wide range of emergency measures which had consequences for the mixes and layers of school accountabilities. This article examines the principal policy changes in Denmark, England and Italy. Drawing on state theories and the concept of ‘hybrid accountability’, semi-structured interviews with national and local policymakers and school practitioners were analysed thematically. While cultural nuances exist between the cases, our findings reveal that state interventions reinforce a public–professional accountability hybrid and hierarchies of control and command within and outside networks. Concomitantly, state non-interventions and the distinct underlying institutional logics associated with national large-scale assessments suggest policy inertia with implications for professional accountability and institutionalised change. Future research might investigate whether educators’ experiences influence the direction of national and local accountability policy reforms in a post-pandemic era.

Pre-Service Teacher Education in Times of Crisis

ABSTRACT No doubt, this is a time of crisis. The impact of COVID-19 on people’s lives is tremendous. The pandemic affects human beings in different ways, depending on their place in society, but everybody is somehow affected: in finances, emotions, behaviors, to mention a few. The same is true about education. Institutions, teachers and learners are pushed to debates and changes never considered, which raise a number of uncertainties. Motivated by discussions the authors took part in as teacher educators, a documentary research was conducted, focusing on national and local documents published due to the pandemic. Based on the data collected, in this article we aim at discussing their possible implications for teacher education.

Teachers’ agency and online education in times of crisis

This study examines academic teachers' agency and emergency responses, prompted by the physical closure of universities and university colleges due to the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic-related lockdown accelerated the digitalization of education and forced teachers to adjust their teaching. A theoretical model is elucidated, in which teachers' agency is understood as the willingness to engage in iterational, practical-evaluative, projective, and transformative action despite the existence of practical, personal, and institutional constraints. We explored the nature and degree of this agency through a survey of university teachers in Norway in the first month of the lockdown. Teachers attempted to create learning environments that facilitated knowledge transfer and interaction and sought to solve problems through self-help and support from colleagues and network, although many struggled with insufficiently developed digital competence and institutional support. Latent profile and qualitative analyses revealed different clusters of teacher responses, from strong resistance to online teaching through to transformation of teaching practices. Qualitative analyses unveiled different expressions of teachers' agency, both ostensible and occlusive, whereby action was shaped by constraining circumstances. These findings can inform future studies of online teaching, indicate the conditions for development of teachers’ digital competence, and illustrate the challenges brought about by crises.

Emergence of the Online-Merge-Offline (OMO) Learning Wave in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Pilot Study

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the need for new innovative methods to effectively maintain education in times of crisis and uncertainty. This study first presents the Online-Merge-Offline (OMO) learning approach, a way of learning that caters to the new needs of students and teachers in the post-COVID-19 era. OMO learning utilizes a hybrid infrastructure that combines Open Educational Practices and real-time learning spaces, both online and offline. This study then discusses the early results of a pilot experiment investigating OMO learning in China for three months from three dimensions: space design requirements, technological considerations, and pedagogical considerations. A qualitative, two-stage study focused on content analysis and a multiple-case study were carried out in the context of courses about English language learning with 30 teachers and students. The obtained findings showed that, although both teachers and students had a positive attitude towards OMO learning, they mentioned that a comprehensive set of core and functional competencies are needed—including the use of online platforms, communication skills, class management, and the effective use of resources. Additionally, the findings showed that more effort should be paid to classroom design, such as infrastructure, to efficiently support OMO learning. This study exemplifies a new approach toward the future of education to ensure sustainable education in this complex and uncertain world.

FUTURE THINKING CONTINUITY OF LEARNING IN MARKETING: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE ON CRISIS MANAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

ABSTRACT To boost understanding of how universities can develop strategies to ensure continuity of learning in anticipation of future crises, this research asked business students to reflect on their university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to discuss their preferred future of higher education in times of crisis. First, students were asked what their university and professors did well and what they did poorly as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. Second, participants were asked to discuss factors that facilitated and hindered personal learning success during the crisis. Finally, students were given the opportunity to share their opinions on the preferred mode in which universities should operate during times of crisis. Data were analyzed to illuminate a path marketing academicians can follow to maintain learning continuity in the face of crises, one which prioritizes shared responsibility among universities, faculty, and students.

Radical Flexibility and Relationality as Responses to Education in Times of Crisis

As educational institutions negotiate numerous challenges resulting from the current pandemic, many are beginning to wonder what the future of education may look like. We contribute to this conversation by arguing for flexible education and considering how it can support better—more equitable, just, accessible, empowering, imaginative—educational futures. At a time of historical disorder and uncertainty, we argue that what we need is a sort of radical flexibility as a way to create life-sustaining education, not just for some, but for all, and not just for now, but far into the future. We argue that such an approach is relational, and centers justice and trust. Furthermore, we note that radical flexibility is systemic and hopeful, and requires wide-ranging changes in practices in addition to the application of new technologies.

Higher Education in Times of Crisis and Disaster, Part Two

Higher Education in Times of Crisis and Disaster, Part Two

ASSISTÊNCIA MULTIPROFISSIONAL AO PACIENTE COM FEBRE REUMÁTICA EM TEMPOS DE PANDEMIA PELO COVID19

O ano de 2020 contou com o marco da pandemia pelo novo Coronavírus, contexto no qual o isolamento social precisou ser adotado em favor da contenção da doença. Por conseguinte, a educação em saúde da população torna-se um grande desafio, sobretudo quando a tecnologia é a maior aliada nas fontes de informação. Neste ínterim, o presente trabalho traz um relato da experiência de discentes do Curso de Medicina de uma Universidade Federal (UF) no que tange a esse processo educativo para pacientes com Febre Reumática (FR) e seus familiares, inseridos no Programa de Assistência Multiprofissional aos pacientes com FR através de um grupo de WhatsApp relacionado ao mesmo. Dessa forma, o estudo vem mostrar que, apesar de haver diversos entraves, faz-se necessária a busca por meios eficazes de educação em tempos de crise.

Education in times of crisis: Rapid transition to distance learning.

The COVID‐19 crisis is having a significant impact on the quality of life and future of young people; it can also lead to disruption in education. A disruption would pose a severe threat to the entire society in the postcrisis period. Therefore, educational institutions must respond quickly and ensure the continuity of the educational processes. Our research goal has been to develop and implement a model enabling a rapid transition from the traditional to the distance learning model in a state of emergency. Our focus has been on conceiving technical, organizational, and pedagogical changes that educational organizations need to implement to enable different interaction methods, ensure continuity, and provide high‐quality education. We have defined and implemented a model, which is described in detail in this paper, thus giving guidelines for a rapid transition to distance learning, which is not restricted to the crisis times only. We have evaluated our approach by monitoring the IT solutions and surveying students and teachers at the School of Computing, Union University of Belgrade. The results indicate the high satisfaction of these participants in the educational processes. They imply the acceptability of prolonged distance learning, if needed, and embrace the hybrid education model for the next generation of students.

Higher Education in Times of Crisis and Disaster, Part One

Higher Education in Times of Crisis and Disaster, Part One

A dessegregação de Little Rock a partir de Hannah Arendt

Resumo Investigam-se neste texto os conflitos educacionais e políticos entre a escola e a questão negra norte-americana, presentificados na dessegregação de Little Rock, uma escola do Arkansas, no ano de 1957. O ensaio “Reflexões sobre Little Rock”, publicado em 1959, de autoria da filósofa Hannah Arendt, é analisado passo a passo, por conta de suas elucidações consideradas à época polêmicas e pouco avançadas para o contexto. Após 60 anos do evento que marca a dessegregação das escolas norte-americanas, avaliam-se o ensaio de Arendt e suas propostas para pensar a educação em tempos de crise. Usa-se a metodologia de pesquisa bibliográfica em fontes primárias da autora e fontes secundárias de comentadores do pensamento arendtiano, relacionadas à política e à educação. O resultado esperado é uma versão dos fatos que auxilie a pensar o papel da escola nos dias atuais.

Los caminos para la formación académica y política

The interview with professor Dante Henrique Moura was held in September 2017 at PPGEP/IFRN. The aim of the interview is to reflect on the academic and professional life of Professor Dante, as well as the social, cultural and political interconnections interwoven in public policies focused on professional education in the 1990s and his professional performance. We can highlight that the studies pointed out and evidenced by the Professor are about the reforms of the Secondary Education and Professional Education in times of crisis in Brazil, and in defence of the “Integrated High School” (Ensino Médio Integrado). Therefore, it contributes with reflections on contemporary Brazil and on educational policies, involving questions of training for work.