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campusreview.com.au
The switch to remote
learning was rapid and the
response from teachers and
parents was remarkable.
before remote learning measures were
introduced across states and the ACT.
Thirty-seven per cent of teachers surveyed
disagreed with this.
From a distance
Survey reveals how
education sector coped in
first wave of COVID-19.
By Wade Zaglas
A
survey conducted at the zenith of
COVID-19 reported that teachers
were routinely working extra hours,
with nearly half of the 1200 respondents
working almost an extra day during the
pandemic and others working in excess of
20 extra hours per week.
The survey also found that, in addition to
the extra hours being worked, teachers were
reporting “significant” mental health and
wellbeing challenges over the same period.
The Australian Education Survey:
Examining the impact of COVID-19 Report
Summary was led by Dr Natasha Ziebell
from the Melbourne Graduate School
of Education and aimed to examine the
impact of COVID-19 on education, across
all sectors.
REMOTE LEARNING
The survey found that 66 per cent of all
teachers surveyed reported increased
working hours during every week of isolation.
“The pressure on us right now is
enormous,” said one teacher.
“It is difficult to manage healthy breaks
away from work because parents and
children and our leaders all require so much
from us right now.”
Another teacher said: “My life consists
of remote learning. Recording lessons,
responding to work, providing feedback,
attending meetings, and everything else
in between.”
The survey also uncovered that nearly
three-quarters of teachers who responded
“expressed concerns about the remote
learning negatively affecting students’
emotional wellbeing”.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND
STUDENT OUTCOMES
In terms of school attendance, 15 per cent
of primary and secondary teachers who
responded to the survey said “their students
always attended class”, while 16 per cent
of the same group said their students
were “attending online classes only half
the time”.
In relation to students’ performance, a
relatively high 56 per cent of all primary and
secondary school teachers agreed students
were producing the same standard of work
NOT ALL NEGATIVE
The Australian Education Survey also
uncovered some positive data, with some
teachers who work with distracted and/
or disruptive students reporting that
the students “engaged with their work
better when working independently
at home”.
Teachers also reported the shift to online
or remote learning encouraged students
to think more creatively as it allowed them
to exploit the wide range of technology
available to them.
“We are very capable educators and have
done a remarkable job of supporting our
students during an unprecedented time,”
one teacher said.
“This shall strengthen our relationships
with students and parents, who have
greater insight and appreciation of the role
we play in their child’s life.”
Lead author Ziebell said the survey
illuminated teachers’ ability to make major
shifts to their teaching and learn quickly, as
well as their ability to improve their “digital
literacy with fellow staff members”. The data
also highlights what did and didn’t work
during COVID-19.
“We saw many teachers get creative
in delivering highly specialised lessons,
to boosting their digital literacy, and
increasing communication with parents
and guardians about the needs of students,”
she said.
“The switch to remote learning was
rapid and the response from teachers
and parents was remarkable, but what
the teachers have identified are important
considerations as the COVID-19 situation
evolves and, in the event that there is return
to remote learning.
“It also exposed how vulnerable children
can slip through the cracks of the system –
particularly when some teachers reported
students refusing to even turn on the
camera and report for their classes.” ■
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