In spring 2020, 916 elementary schools and 443 high schools were closed
in Croatia due to the Covid-19 pandemic and remote teaching was introduced.
This had an impact on physics teaching as an experimental
subject. In addition to positive aspects concealed in new experiences
and work perspectives, the sudden transition from conventional faceto-
face teaching to a remote format had an undeniable negative impact
on physics teaching in elementary and high schools. In order to mitigate
the effects and provide a detailed insight into the problems that arose
during this transition, we conducted a quantitative study among teachers
of physics in elementary and high schools in Croatia, with the aim of
identifying logistical and technical problems and challenges in physics
teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire with
five parts (general data, teaching physics during the Covid-19 pandemic,
experiments, sociological component, exchange of experience) was
completed by 178 Croatian teachers. The results irrefutably point to the
flexibility and responsiveness of physics teachers, an increase in the
teachers’ workload, a lack of the experimental work that forms an essential
part of the subject of physics, and a lack of teacher knowledge (in
ICT), skills and equipment for conducting distance teaching. However,
it also emerged that online teaching, if carefully designed and individualised,
can stimulate additional commitment and interest in the subject
among students. The paper presents the research findings in detail, with
the aim of helping physics teachers to plan further teaching more effectively
as and if the pandemic progresses.
|
