Scaffolding the learning during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic - secondary school students’ perspective

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was a natural experiment that allowed for the reexamination of various theories and social phenomena in a novel context. This study aimed to determine whether under these novel circumstances, greater support was provided in asymmetric or symmetric interactions. More specifically, we focused on the main actors in the provision of remote learning support to secondary school students and we examined students? perceptions in different time periods during the first wave of the pandemic. Another aim was to describe the content of the support provided to students by various actors in education. This longitudinal exploratory research followed 160 secondary school students over the course of 12 weeks during which regular classes were not held at schools. Three research cycles conducted during different remote learning periods revealed that students perceived teachers and peers as the main actors in the provision of learning support. Parental learning support was not negligible, especially during the longest movement ban during the pandemic. Conversely, students seldom recognized school counselors as educational actors providing learning support. The content of the support provided by the abovementioned actors related to the cognitive, motivational, emotional, and organizational aspects of learning.