ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ

A year ago, all schools suddenly closed. Out of the blue, teachers had to learn to teach digitally. Even reading lessons had to be taught remotely and on a screen. How did primary school teachers experience this transition? And what insights have emerged from the sudden need to teach reading lessons remotely? Researchers from Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ, affiliated with the Academic Teacher Training Programme for Primary Education (ALPO), interviewed several primary school teachers. Their findings are compiled in the report ’Remote reading lessons during the coronavirus pandemic: what can we learn?’

It would be a shame if we lost all that we learned in the first lockdown.

The report can be read as advice from teachers for teachers. Luce Claessens, one of the three authors of the report: ‘It is to support the schools and help them make further strides. It would be a shame if we lost all that we learned in the first lockdown, in spring 2020. We hope that the report will also provide insights and experiences that are interesting for reading lessons in everyday teaching practice, without the backdrop of an emergency.’

New context

In the interviews, teachers indicated that the transition from the school context to the home situation was a decisive factor. Claessens: ‘In the classroom, teachers are able to gauge the learning process of pupils continually by monitoring their behaviour and performance.’ With the transition to education at home, this became impossible. At the same time, new actors came to play a part in reading lessons: parents and carers. ‘These new actors were given a greater role in providing feedback to students and helping them plan and regulate learning activities.’

Self-regulation

The researchers found that the success of remote reading lessons depended to a large extent on the pupils’ ability to self-regulate. Claessens: ‘The remote reading lessons often yielded better results if the pupil’s capacity for self-regulation was high and there was a rich reading environment at home. Where these were less in evidence, extra support was needed. Identifying these and other factors can benefit the design of appropriate remote reading lessons.’

For me as a student, it has been a unique and instructive experience to be able to conduct this research project.

ALPO student as driving force

The report would not have been possible without ALPO student Brigitte de Kok. She was curious to find out how teacher training colleges approached remote teaching during the first lockdown. De Kok approached Claessens, her lecturer, who pointed her to the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences COVID-19 Fund. De Kok: ‘Together with two ALPO lecturers, I submitted a research proposal. It was the approval of this proposal that led to this research project. For me as a student, it has been a unique and instructive experience to be able to conduct this research project.’

All experiences and tips on remote reading lessons can be found in the report ‘Remote reading lessons during the coronavirus pandemic: what can we learn?’, written by Brigitte de Kok, Moniek Schaars and Luce Claessens.