Abstract:

The current situation in the world facing global problems of migration and pandemics induces enormous economic and social changes. This also challenges the educational system. The assessment of students’ progress and achievements is an essential component of the educational process. Therefore, in order to ensure high quality of distance learning, it is necessary to analyse the results of assessment of students’ achievements in the context of distance learning. For this purpose, the article raises problematic questions: what are the distance learning achievements of pre-school children during the quarantine period; how / whether the assessment and self-assessment of achievements was ensured; what distance learning disruptions did pedagogues and children encounter?
The aim of this article is to review pre-school teachers’ opinions about the peculiarities of assessment of pre-school students’ achievements in the context of distance learning.
Research methodology. Applying the qualitative research approach, content analysis of 87 reflections of pre-school teachers in Lithuania was carried out (from September 2021 till January 2022). The research was conducted in five state pre-school education institutions of five largest towns of Lithuania where pedagogues were working in a distance mode during the quarantine period. A perspective of qualitative content analysis and a form of thematic analysis were applied; notions, compound words (notional units) found in the texts reflect specific aspects analysed in the present research. The content of the pedagogues' reflections was transcribed in separate protocols. The analysis has been conducted by consistently analysing the content of a text, dividing the content under investigation into analytical units, i.e. categories, sub-categories. The latter are coded according to the order of reflections presented by the surveyed, aiming at anonymity of the research participants. This allowed generalisation of information and formation of appropriate conclusions. Segments of the data were linked to theoretical concepts; a graphical model was designed grounding on the interpretative analysis.
The results of the study reveal the duality of assessment of pre-school children’s achievements, where children’s achievements are described as excellent, productively working individually, as evidenced by positive feedback from students and pedagogues emphasising the excellent achievements of children. However, it also revealed the dependence of learning achievements on the contribution of parents and the poor involvement of the latter in the children’s educational process, the inappropriate age for distance learning, the mismatch of educational goals and outcomes and the complicated assessment process. Seeking to ensure an effective process of distance learning as well as to improve pre-school age children’s achievements and assessment, it is important to comply with general guidelines and provisions of distance learning, to use common virtual learning environments, to promote inter-institutional and institutional networking to generate common agreements and preconditions for their implementation as well as to increase motivation of parents and pedagogues. All said would contribute to further projection of child’s further learning results with regard to educational needs, correction of the education process and enhancement of efficiency in organising education.

Keywords:

Assessment of achievements, distance learning, the covid-19 pandemic, pre-school teachers, Lithuania, content analysis, reflections.