Middle Grades Teacher Practices during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Main Author: Penny A. Bishop
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021-08-01
• Series: RMLE Online: Research in Middle Level Education
• Subjects: middle school; teacher practice; pandemic; covid-19; middle grades; middle school teachers
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19404476.2021.1959832

As of March 31, 2020, the closure of schools in 192 countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in over 1.6 billion learners being temporarily forced out of school buildings. New educational inequities arose, and existing ones were exacerbated. Acknowledging that disruption may also stimulate innovation, the purpose of this qualitative research was to identify possible improvements in middle grades teachers’ practices as they enacted emergency remote instruction. Through narrative responses provided to an online survey administered between May 27 and June 19, 2020, 332 middle grades educators self-identified aspects of their teaching practice that improved while teaching remotely. Findings included deepened knowledge of individual learners; increased individualized instruction; greater opportunities for student choice and self-pace; more timely assessment feedback; enhanced family engagement; and increased technology skills. Implications of this study for educational practice, and for school scheduling in particular, are examined.