Abstract:

1.7 billion learners, roughly 89% of the world’s student population were adversely impacted by Covid-19. In Pakistan, as a result of country-wide closure of schools and academic institutions, 46.8 million students – at various levels – faced disruptions in their education. As a means of mitigating the impact on learning, Pakistan, like other countries, attempted to adapt by switching to some version of online or remote learning, including the use of technology like televisions and mobile phones. This paper presents a systematic literature review as well as statistical analysis of data collected in a British Council Pakistan project, Covid-19 Transition and Challenges (Series). It highlights challenges, perceptions and attitudes of Pakistani teachers during initial school closures and any shifts in the 18 months of Covid-19 that followed. Data was collected from seven regions of Pakistan using surveys as well as key informant interviews. The sample of 246 includes teachers from both public and private sector at secondary and Higher Education (HE) levels. It finds that while 18 months into the pandemic, teachers have a better handle on systems and processes, many feel that online learning is still not as conducive to learning as in-person lessons citing technological and pedagogical issues as barriers. Teachers also highlighted assessments and measuring progresses virtually as challenges. The paper also presents policy recommendations for teachers, and structural support to the ecosystem at large for improved student learning outcomes.

Keywords:

Online education, remote learning, teacher training, education in emergencies, learning outcomes, policy.