The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Classroom Communication in the Romanian School Education System. The Transition from Face-To-Face to Online Teaching in German Schools

Abstract

The last years can be characterized as a period of crisis and changes all around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present work analyses the impact of the pandemic on the forms of communication in the Romanian school education system, in the transition from on- site classes to online classes in German schools. It is further investigated which differences can be found in online compared to face-to-face teaching, which strategies were used to replace the missing communication aspects and whether online learning has a negative impact on communication between teachers and learners. The research relies on 16 semi-structured interviews carried out with teachers from Romanian schools where German is taught as a mother tongue. The interviews show that direct eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and non-verbal communication in general are all inhibited by conversation through a screen. Thus, it implies a less intimate, direct connection, and the potential for difficult interpersonal connections, which causes the students’ interest and attention to decline. For the new medium, it was also vital to re-evaluate the conventional pedagogical approaches. Fortunately, technology has made great strides and offers a variety of options, although communication has suffered greatly.

Keywords

• german schools
• romanian educational system
• nonverbal and interpersonal communication
• teaching and communication strategies
• online and offline teaching