Elements of crisis e-learning: Perspectives of Polish teachers

Abstract

The aim of the research was to investigate teachers' perspectives on the elements of emergency e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted with 134 teachers from different types of schools in Poland during the first wave of crisis e-learning (March - May 2020). The variables included in the analysis comprise teachers' use of differentiated teaching methods, student collaboration, school support for modern ICT, and teachers' digital competence. The findings are summarized as follows: (1) about a third of students did not develop the ability to work together in emergency e-learning; (2) more than two-thirds of teachers underlined that their schools actively promoted the idea of implementing ICT in education; (3) more than two-thirds of teachers emphasized that their school principals had systematically modernized the IT facilities necessary for effective teaching; (4) approximately half of the teachers were supported by the school authorities in strengthening their digital competence; and (5) teachers used various teaching methods in emergency e-learning, and the most popular methods were videos, presentations, e-learning platforms, and interactive games and applications; (6) teachers who did not differentiate digital teaching methods did not believe in the development of opportunities for soft skills among students; (7) the schools invested in technological facilities and supported the development of digital competence among teachers; and (8) the intensive use of e-learning platforms by teachers increased their positive attitude towards the development of soft competences (e.g., collaboration skills) among students.