In my master's thesis, I research teachers' challenges in teaching children with special needs during the closure of institutions due to the coronavirus epidemic. In the qualitative research with a non-random convenience sample, I included ten teachers who, during the closure of the institutions, educated children with special needs in adapted educational programmes and programmes with lower academic standards. I investigate how teachers adapted to education by home schooling and how they modified and coordinated the curriculum. Considering the new way of teaching, I was interested in the levels of the teacher's self-assessed competences at the time. What obstacles did they face, and what kind of support did they receive from the school and others? Did the teachers seek help themselves? Since teaching took place from home, I was interested in how that affected the teacher's work-life balance. I researched the alterations to the assessment models and how children with special needs continued to receive help. I was also interested in the reaction of children and parents to home-schooling practices and what suggestions teachers have for an appropriate response to a hypothetical closure of institutions in the future.
The results showed that teachers could adapt the lessons with the help of information and communication technology while they continued to teach younger students even without those tools. The curriculum was altered to follow the minimum educational standards. The competences of female teachers gradually improved, but they were faced with significant obstacles. They received support mainly in the form of helping with the acquisition of the appropriate information and communication technology. Furthermore, they connected with colleagues and looked for help online. They were supported mainly by their colleagues and family. Their daily work routines changed and proved to be very arduous. The assessment models were altered and happened primarily through oral evaluations. The children received help remotely. Children's reactions to home schooling were mixed, while parents' reactions were mainly adverse. Most often, teachers suggested that hypothetical closures of schools in the future should be avoided.
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