Review of research on distance education in Polish schools in the first wave of the COVID-19. On the primacy of technology and technology over pedagogical reflection

Abstract

The article aims to capture the state of knowledge on the introduction and implementation of remote education in Polish primary and secondary schools during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have analyzed  9 surveys conducted by various entities, among diverse groups of varying sizes: teachers, parents, students, and/or principals, between April and June 2020.

The analysis of available reports surveys three dimensions of remote education via ICT: technical - related to availability of equipment necessary for the implementation of education via the Internet, technological - related to the digital competence of students and teachers, and instructional - related to the methodology of teaching in the digital environment.

The analysis of data available in the reports showed that the organization of online education was defined by emergency and the scale of the phenomenon exceeded systemic capacity, thereby transferring the burden onto the shoulders of the involved individuals: particular teachers, students, and their parents. Moreover, it was found that the availability of advanced technologies and rich features of particular applications did not automatically induce a stimulating, activating, and engaging learning environment that lead students and teachers to new roles. The review of the research also allowed to diagnose the foundations of theoretical and methodological reflection in the study of modern technologies in primary and secondary education in Poland. Similar surveys conducted in other countries suggest that the Polish predicament was not an exception on an international scale.