Basic schools’ closure and review of educators' remote teaching experiences and challenges in South Africa public schools

Abstract

The object of research: This paper looks to address the effectiveness of remote teaching during the lockdown. Investigated problem: Education during the COVID-19 pandemic was affected remarkably due to the lockdown in most countries including South Africa. The main scientific results: The paper highlights failures in the planning, management, and organization of remote teaching during the lockdown. The area of practical use of the research results: The paper employs a mixed method approach to study the experiences of teachers and the challenges they faced during and after the lockdown. One hundred and forty-four (144) Life Sciences teachers responded to a survey using questionnaires, and another fifteen (15) took part in telephonic interview(s) that followed an interview schedule. Innovative technological product: Based on these findings, the paper suggests that the government should invest in and ensure the availability of reliable communication tools, high quality internet connectivity, and actively promote the development of digital academic skills for both teachers and learners. Let’s also suggest numerous steps that must be taken to develop a curriculum that reflects not only the perceptible change(s) in content knowledge, but also the learning experiences of teachers and learners. Scope of the innovative product: The respondents were Life Sciences educators from public high schools in Mpumalanga province in South Africa