RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION IN ROMANIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Objectives. To provide an answer to the question: What were the main obstacles faced by teachers in Romanian pre-university education during the COVID-19 pandemic? School closures during pandemic effects will be investigated from the perspective of the difficulties in the educational process during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods. Qualitative methodology using four online focus groups (18 teachers from the pre-university education system in Romania) centered on topics related to education and teacher-student relations. Data collection period: July 27–September 13, 2022. Results. Most respondents rated their digital skills as “good” or “very good” (46.5%). The main difficulties they faced online were: poor internet connection (71.2%), lack of software and applications (45.3%), lack of adequate equipment (38.8%), lack of digital knowledge (35.5%), decrease in student motivation (61.2%), fatigue (67.7%), and assessment errors (45.9%). Most respondents were aware of GDPR regulations (69.4%), and only 5% of them did nothing to ensure the students and teachers online safety. Conclusions. The online educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic had positive aspects (e.g., the ability to adapt quickly to the online education requirements; the development of new digital skills) and negative aspects (decreased student motivation; the emergence of new psychological phenomena—digital fatigue, student assessment errors). The main obstacles faced by teachers in Romanian pre-university education during the COVID-19 pandemic were professional, administrative, and psychological. Future studies are needed to identify ways to support teachers, on the horizon of the present economic and social crisis.

Keywords

• assessment of students’ knowledge
• covid-19 pandemic
• digital competences
• online education
• online security