The Future of Education

Spring 2020 is quite different than most people could have imagined. Schools around the world are temporarily closed and most students have home schooling. How have these measures affected teaching and learning? What experiences have teachers gained during the corona period? This study is based on a survey conducted among 500+ Norwegian teachers. Data was collected during April 2020. The findings indicate that teachers have generally mastered the digital transition. Many teachers report that they have become more confident with several digital tools, which they are going integrate into their normal teaching practice. At the same time, some express the need for a break from the digital ways of working and that they are looking forward to meeting students physically. The teachers use a variety of digital tools, and the majority say they do live lessons daily by video communication. Simultaneously, some claim that using digital tools in teaching requires more preparation and better classroom management than without such tools. The teachers believe that students are generally performing as normal during the period of home schooling. However, several of the teachers point to challenges for some students related to age, social background, and general home situation. Conversely, some teachers also claim to notice a positive progress among students who usually do not excel as much in the classroom. When asked what competence-raising measures have been most useful for their own digital practice during the corona period, most teachers report their own "trial and error" but quite a few also state that guidance from a colleague or ICT advisor at their school has been useful. Fewer express to have taken formal ICT courses that come in handy. Overall, teachers in this study seem to have mastered the transition to digital teaching in the time of corona crisis.

Keywords: teaching methods, professional digital competence, digital transition, corona crisis.