In This “Research Insights” Edition

A number of research-practice partnerships (RPPs) in NNERPP have conducted, compiled, or synthesized research to help education leaders and policymakers understand or address the unprecedented challenges brought about by COVID-19. In a two-part “Research Insights” series, we bring together a collection of studies from our members to learn more about the wide-ranging challenges experienced earlier this year as schools shifted from in-person learning to virtual learning at scale, with little to no preparation. In Part 1 of this series, we focus on the “supply” side of schooling by exploring three studies that examine the experiences of teachers as they adjusted to distance learning earlier this year, with each study reflecting a different location, different context, and different student/teacher populations. Part 2 will focus on the “demand” side of schooling — the experiences and perspectives of students and families as they adapted to the new learning opportunities afforded due to the pandemic — in the next edition of NNERPP Extra to be published early next year.

Why This Series

Due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020, schools were forced to quickly respond, with most shifting instruction from in-person learning to online formats, accompanied by school closures more generally. The research projects presented here focus on that very first unprecedented and unplanned shift, highlighting teachers’, students’, and families’ early challenges navigating these new learning environments. With the pandemic still on-going, we hope to take stock of important lessons or insights from these earlier experiences should the opportunity arise to apply this knowledge to current and possibly future conditions.

Overview and Context

Before we dive in, let’s take a quick look at the three artifacts we’ll examine here, the three partnerships that produced these artifacts, and some context surrounding the school closures in the states / cities of interest.

Table 1. List of RPPs + Artifacts Included in This Article

Below, we provide a brief description of the context in which these studies occurred.

>>TENNESSEE:

Schools in Tennessee closed on March 16, 2020, and remained closed for the rest of the academic year. The Tennessee Department of Education recommended that districts offer distance learning. Schools planned to reopen for in person learning in the fall and to offer virtual learning as an alternative option. 

>>MICHIGAN:

Schools in Michigan were ordered to close on April 2, 2020 for the remainder of the academic year. Districts were instructed to provide distance learning and to outline initial strategies in Continuity of Learning Plans. Districts then detailed reopening plans and modes of instruction in extended continuity of learning plans, updated each month for the 2020-2021 school year.

>>SAN ANTONIO, TX:

Schools that had not already closed previously were ordered to close to in-person learning for the remainder of the academic year on April 17, with the goal of reopening in the fall, either in person or virtual, to be outlined in district reopening plans.

Research Questions 

The following is a summary of the research questions included in each partnership’s study:

>>TENNESSEE:

This study asked Tennessee teachers about their biggest concerns for students during the school closures that occurred earlier this year, the supports identified by teachers as most helpful for remote learning, teachers’ most important sources of guidance during the school closures, and the ways in which teachers facilitated remote student learning.

>>MICHIGAN:

This study explored how Michigan teachers engaged with students during the Spring 2020 school closures, what challenges they faced, the most helpful resources and supports they used in transitioning to distance learning, and what concerns they had about the impact on their students of suspending face-to-face instruction.

>>SAN ANTONIO, TX:

This three-part study examined what worked and didn’t work for teachers, students, and families during emergency distance learning in the Spring of 2020, how engaged students were during distance learning, and what other societal factors affected overall learning experiences. Part 1 of the publication, which we include in this article, focuses on teachers’ early challenges and experiences with distance learning.  

Research Methods

All three research studies conducted surveys. While they asked similar questions, sample sizes differed significantly across studies, the timeframe for each study was different, and of course, the locations were significantly different, with two of the studies focusing on a state-wide sample, while the third was city-wide. 

In greater detail:

>>TENNESSEE: 

The Tennessee Educator Survey, which is administered annually by TERA in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, was already in the field at the time of the COVID-19 school closures in Tennessee. The survey was then re-deployed with new, COVID-specific survey questions. Between April 4 and May 1, over 25,000 educators (40% of Tennessee teachers and 44% of school leaders) responded to the questions, and over 10,000 teachers and school leaders provided open-ended comments to a question about the most important resources needed to support remote learning.

>>MICHIGAN:

In contrast to the Tennessee survey, which surveyed all teachers in the state, the COVID-19 educator survey conducted by EPIC added to a survey already in the field for K-8 teachers and principals only (both in traditional public schools and charter schools across Michigan). A total of 8,565 teachers and 316 principals responded to the survey, corresponding to a response rate of 16% and 12%, respectively. Survey items were modeled on TERA’s COVID-19-related questions from their 2020 Tennessee Educator Survey (see above), and was administered from May 6 to June 30. 

>>SAN ANTONIO, TX:

Finally, the San Antonio study (with findings published in three different reports) surveyed teachers, students, and parents. Survey data were collected from May 22 to July 1 from representative samples of teachers, parents, and high school students (16 and older) for each of seven participating school districts (East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, Judson, Northside, North East, and Southwest) as well as an eighth set of schools known as the Centers for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) Network for a total of 1,669 participants. For the purposes of this article, we focus on the 545 surveyed teachers.

What Does the Research Show?

Here, we highlight some common themes that emerged across study findings. As always, we encourage you to explore each artifact in greater detail for more findings and insights specific to each location.

>>ACCESS

Teachers named students’ access to remote learning as one of the most common challenges faced across all three studies, with teachers in Tennessee and Michigan reporting problems of access as being among their top concerns and/or challenges. Specific examples identified by teachers included lack of internet access, lack of access to devices, and technological problems. For example, 56% of participating teachers in Tennessee selected “barriers preventing students from accessing remote learning” as one of their top three concerns. 78% of teachers and principals from the Michigan sample reported being either “concerned” or “extremely concerned” about barriers preventing students from accessing e-learning. In San Antonio, 27% of teachers surveyed named technology access and use as a major early challenge.

In terms of which barriers to remote learning were most salient:

• 83% of surveyed teachers and 90% of surveyed principals in Michigan said better internet access for students would be helpful “to a moderate or great extent”, while 80% of teachers and principals said that access to a reliable home computer or suitable device would be helpful “to a moderate or great extent.” 
• In Tennessee, more than three-quarters of educators who responded to the survey identified better internet access and/or reliable devices for students as the most helpful supports needed for remote learning; this was especially common for teachers in rural areas. 
• Teachers in San Antonio praised school and district efforts already undertaken to provide internet access and technology to their students: 35% of teachers identified these efforts to be among the most helpful actions that were taken.

From the San Antonio study, additional challenges related to a lack of internet access or access to devices were identified, such as students missing instructional time, teachers not being able to maintain or build relationships with students they can’t reach, and the emerging digital divide deepening existing inequities. 

With respect to the delivery of remote learning, the majority of teachers in both Tennessee and Michigan reported regularly sending electronic learning resources to students/parents, while significantly fewer teachers reported regularly sending physical learning resources or engaging regularly in virtual classes or tutoring. This reliance on electronic learning in delivering remote instruction likely exacerbated teachers’ concerns about student access. In San Antonio, teachers indicated that their own unfamiliarity with online platforms complicated the delivery of remote instruction. Most teachers – close to 95% – had no previous experience teaching online. 

Finally, in addition to challenges related to technological access described above, teachers in Michigan and Tennessee reported being highly concerned about students lacking access to crucial services such as meals and counseling.

>>ENGAGEMENT

Student engagement and attendance emerged as another major concern identified by teachers across all three studies, albeit to varying degrees:

• In Tennessee, this did not emerge as the most critical issue – although teachers expressed concern and frustration over unclear district mandates and guidance regarding student attendance, it was not the top concern. 
• In contrast, for teachers in Michigan, “keeping students engaged in schoolwork” and “student attendance” was named as the greatest challenge in transitioning to remote learning (82% and 81% of teachers, respectively, reported facing these challenges to a moderate extent or great extent). 
• In the San Antonio study, 36% of teachers mentioned “student participation” as an early challenge, making it the most-mentioned challenge. They also reported that students were significantly less engaged during distance learning: About 60% of teachers said students turned in assignments less frequently compared to pre-pandemic schooling. Teachers indicated that establishing a social-emotional connection with students could help improve engagement.

>>GUIDANCE AND SUPPORTS

Finally, all surveys queried their respondents about the kinds of support that seemed to be most helpful in planning and facilitating remote instruction.

• Two-thirds of teachers who responded to the survey in Tennessee identified school or district guidance as one of their top two beneficial sources. Many teachers also reported seeking out general online resources as guidance, with 44% of teachers indicating they have sought these resources out themselves as a top source. Open-ended comments suggested that some teachers felt they needed more guidance and resources, and clearer and more consistent guidelines about their responsibilities for remote learning and expectations around parent/student engagement. In particular, some teachers commented on a need for more guidance to support certain student populations, such as students with severe disabilities and English learners. In terms of supports that teachers felt their students needed, internet access and access to crucial services were named, as referenced above, as well as emotional and mental health support. 
• The Michigan study found that surveyed teachers generally did not find guidance or resources from their schools and districts to be as useful as resources from their colleagues or online resources they sought out themselves. Three additional supports for online instruction were identified as helpful by teachers in Michigan: virtual resources that provide content for students, training for teachers on effective digital distance learning strategies, and ready-made lessons. 
• When asked about helpful supports during pandemic learning from their schools or districts, teachers in San Antonio pointed to effective improvement of online access through the mass distribution of laptops, devices, and hotspots, as mentioned previously, and also named technology trainings, professional development, and sample lessons as especially helpful. On the flipside, teachers reported needing clearer, enforceable guidelines for student grading and participation, including guidelines around tracking participation.

Implications and Recommendations

There are at least four takeaways to consider from the three studies discussed here:

• First, weak broadband infrastructure and lack of access to devices are a major barrier for students trying to access remote instruction, and for teachers trying to provide it. Both for the current crisis and for future events that might necessitate remote schooling, this digital divide needs to be bridged. Delivering remote learning through more physical learning resources might be helpful.
• Second, other inequities also need to be addressed. Teachers reported that some groups of students were harder to reach and/or teach than others, including economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English Learners. Thus, teachers need more resources and tools for effectively instructing these students online.
• Third, teachers / principals struggled with a lack of clarity and guidance around what was expected of them and how virtual learning works – which is not surprising given the little preparation for and unprecedented nature of this sudden shift to remote learning. Now that schools, districts, and teachers have had more time to assess what works and what doesn’t, it should be easier to develop clearer sets of expectations and training that teachers need. 
• Finally, with respect to student engagement and attendance, better / easier technology access, more tools to help educators meet students’ social-emotional and individual needs, and clearer expectations and guidelines will also help.

In Practice

Because each of the studies highlighted in this article were produced as part of an RPP, they are all specifically meant to inform the work of the practice-side partner(s) in each RPP. In this section, we briefly highlight how findings have impacted practice so far.

>>TENNESSEE: 

The survey findings on educators’ experiences during COVID-19-related school closures helped the Tennessee Department of Education refine its efforts to support schools and teachers in remote learning planning: The department has formed various partnerships to help provide digital training to educators around using and implementing remote learning, to provide classroom lessons to young students – for example, through lessons being aired on PBS – and to produce remote instruction toolkits and guidance.

>>MICHIGAN:

The survey results were shared broadly with stakeholders across the state to support conversations about what resources and guidance were needed for schools and districts. The initial executive orders on school building closure were followed by legislation to direct public education under “extended COVID-19 learning plans” in the 2020-21 school year. The Michigan Department of Education along with key education associations across the state have developed tools to help districts plan effectively to ensure the provision of education to all students, and support districts to fulfill the requirements of the legislation around meeting educational goals for student progress.

>>SAN ANTONIO, TX:

Superintendents from each of the eight surveyed school districts have engaged with and widely distributed the UEI reports on distance learning. School leadership teams and boards have used the findings to improve policies and practices. Very specifically, leaders from CAST schools, one of the systems included in the survey research, used the findings during the summer and fall of 2020 in an UEI-led Improvement Science planning project to inform and shape a number of programs to better engage students and educators during ongoing distance learning:

• CAST Schools launched a comprehensive summer paid internship program where students co-created future project-based lessons with CAST educators. 
• Additionally, a CAST Summer Studio was launched in partnership with local arts groups and teachers to guide incoming freshmen through a process of self-identity and artistic expression. 
• Finally, a new initiative, the CAST Taking a Stand Initiative, was created to connect students and educators to discuss and develop an outline for how the CAST network will tackle racial injustice and inequities in San Antonio.

Coming Next

We will turn to students’ and families’ experiences with online learning during the early phase of the pandemic and examine how these compare to teachers’ experiences and insights in Part 2 of this Research Insights series, coming in the next edition of NNERPP Extra early next year. We hope to explore a more complete picture of the challenges and needs from all participating stakeholders with this effort – which will be crucial for improving supports and guidelines going forward. Stay tuned!

Nina Spitzley is Marketing Specialist at the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships (NNERPP). 

Suggested citation: Spitzley, N. (2020). Schooling During the Pandemic, Part 1: Insights from Teachers. NNERPP Extra, 2(4), 2-8.