Abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic and the social confinements that resulted from it led to schools having to close and students and teachers were forced, from one moment to the next, to adopt new forms of teaching and learning so that learning could continue to take place. The teaching and learning process began to take place remotely, using technological tools that enabled the realization of synchronous classes and asynchronous moments of interaction between students and teachers. In this context, teaching and learning can be accomplished by viewing and discussing videos available on the internet, playing online educational games, quizzes, Wikis, and e-portfolios, using Kahoot, individual or small group research on topics or problems of interest to students, among others.

Since the remote teaching and learning process occurred in Portugal in two periods of social confinement, we conducted an exploratory study guided by the following research problem: What are the perceptions of 4th grade students about remote learning? We defined the following objectives for the study: to identify the technological resources indicated by 4th grade students to carry out their learning activities; to identify the school tasks referred by these students to carry out their learning activities; to verify if they mentioned any help with their learning; and to understand their perceptions of the positive and negative aspects of remote teaching and learning.

Based on the research problem and objectives, we found it appropriate to use a qualitative methodology, through the development, validation, and administration of a questionnaire with five open questions. This questionnaire took place in October 2021 and was completed by three classes from three primary schools in northern Portugal. A total of 72 students aged 9 and 10 years old answered the questionnaire. The data collected were subjected to content analysis, resulting in emerging categories and subcategories.

The results indicated that students mentioned the use of the computer, tablet, and mobile phone with internet access for learning, as well as the viewing of lessons from the TV show "#Estudo em Casa". The learning tasks performed consisted of playing online learning games, watching videos on Youtube, performing internet searches, quizzes and Kahoot. They also mentioned the completion of worksheets and textbook exercises, particularly with the help of family members and teachers. Regarding the positive aspects of remote learning, they perceived the work with technological resources, the use of online games and videos, the quizzes and the research projects developed. As for the negative aspects, they mentioned not being face-to-face with classmates, internet failures, interference during classes caused by classmates and noises at home, schoolwork overload, and the stress and anxiety experienced.

Keywords:

Covid-19, learning, perceptions, 4th grade students.