Covid-19 Lockdown in Italy: Perspectives and Observations from Special Education Teachers of Changes in Teaching and the Student Experience

ABSTRACT In March 2020, the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit Italy and had dramatic and unforeseen consequences for millions of schoolchildren. Students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) were faced with drastic changes to their local environment caused by the lockdown. This impacted their ability to function in ways in which they were acquired and posed new challenges for their teachers. This qualitative exploratory study aimed to capture and understand special education teachers’ perspectives of their own work and their perceived changes in SEND. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 21 special education teachers at the end of the 2020 school year in Italy. The interview guide was based on the structure of a microsystem, as described by Bronfenbrenner’s model, and targeted questions about perceived changes in their roles, relationships, and activities due to the lockdown. The interviews were examined by deductive thematic analysis. The lockdown situation caused marked changes in the teacher’s work and their students’ lives and significant losses in the developmental and educational processes compared to a pre-pandemic ordinary school setting. In some cases, teachers employed effective coping strategies that helped build resilience in SEND. Critical aspects of privacy and the lack of centralized online learning tools are discussed with relation to the vast and unregulated use of ICT. We conclude that three key aspects essential for good support are: providing specific teaching tools and caring human contact, having a supportive home environment, and having adequate ICT devices and a good internet connection. Our findings will inform teachers, caregivers, public administrators, stakeholders, and social services on support mechanisms for schooling during the lockdown.