Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools
The New South Wales (Australia) school education response to the Covid-19 pandemic was based on the premise that children would learn from home or school through online learning. This study of the experiences of a group of rural New South Wales primary school principals challenges this premise. Rura...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Aberdeen, School of Education
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Education in the North |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://abdn.ac.uk/education/research/eitn/journal/619 |
| _version_ | 1819151394871967744 |
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| author | Julie-Ann Paredes Marilyn Chaseling William E. Boyd |
| author_facet | Julie-Ann Paredes Marilyn Chaseling William E. Boyd |
| author_sort | Julie-Ann Paredes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The New South Wales (Australia) school education response to the Covid-19 pandemic was based on the premise that children would learn from home or school through online learning. This study of the experiences of a group of rural New South Wales primary school principals challenges this premise. Rural schools in the State are mostly small, relatively isolated, and linked closely to small socioeconomically-poor communities. They are marginal to the education establishment, and thus offer opportunities to test assumptions of mainstream sector-wide approaches. This paper reports interviews with six rural principals regarding their approaches to learning for their students during the pandemic. We identify five key issues: initial concerns, the importance of communication, access and attitudes to technology, parents’ attitudes to home learning, and change on return to school. Presumptions of successful off-site learning and technology implementation are challenged by the experience of these rural schools. This study raises two questions about post-Covid-19 school education: How can preexisting social disadvantage be better dealt within the education system? What might a future education model post COVID-19 look like? |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:32:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-803f6f8b91854c7794bb4cd284527f25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0424-5512 2398-0184 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:32:42Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Aberdeen, School of Education |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education in the North |
| spelling | doaj.art-803f6f8b91854c7794bb4cd284527f252022-12-21T18:22:43ZengUniversity of Aberdeen, School of EducationEducation in the North0424-55122398-01842020-12-01272175195https://doi.org/10.26203/9bzg-2w21Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schoolsJulie-Ann Paredes0Marilyn Chaseling1William E. Boyd2Southern Cross UniversitySouthern Cross UniversitySouthern Cross UniversityThe New South Wales (Australia) school education response to the Covid-19 pandemic was based on the premise that children would learn from home or school through online learning. This study of the experiences of a group of rural New South Wales primary school principals challenges this premise. Rural schools in the State are mostly small, relatively isolated, and linked closely to small socioeconomically-poor communities. They are marginal to the education establishment, and thus offer opportunities to test assumptions of mainstream sector-wide approaches. This paper reports interviews with six rural principals regarding their approaches to learning for their students during the pandemic. We identify five key issues: initial concerns, the importance of communication, access and attitudes to technology, parents’ attitudes to home learning, and change on return to school. Presumptions of successful off-site learning and technology implementation are challenged by the experience of these rural schools. This study raises two questions about post-Covid-19 school education: How can preexisting social disadvantage be better dealt within the education system? What might a future education model post COVID-19 look like?https://abdn.ac.uk/education/research/eitn/journal/619covid-19rural schoolsnew south waleslearning at home |
| spellingShingle | Julie-Ann Paredes Marilyn Chaseling William E. Boyd Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools Education in the North covid-19 rural schools new south wales learning at home |
| title | Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools |
| title_full | Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools |
| title_fullStr | Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools |
| title_short | Online learning in a time of COVID disruption? The experiences of principals from New South Wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools |
| title_sort | online learning in a time of covid disruption the experiences of principals from new south wales rural and disadvantaged primary schools |
| topic | covid-19 rural schools new south wales learning at home |
| url | https://abdn.ac.uk/education/research/eitn/journal/619 |
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