Changes, ruptures and continuities in teaching practices during times of pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced dramatic changes to all aspects of daily life, and education was no exception. New ways of conducting and managing educational processes were introduced, and teachers found themselves confronted with a context of forced and continuous change. The objective of this study was to characterize the changes, disruptions, and continuities in teaching practices during the pandemic. This qualitative study is based on interviews with secondary school teachers, using non-probability convenience sampling, as the participants were social science teachers. The results provided important categories for analysis, including the changes, disruptions, and continuities that arose in lesson planning methodologies, the integration of socio-emotional methodologies and strategies, the implementation of alternative methodologies considering physical but not social distancing, the increase in extracurricular activities, and the surge in the use of technologies and social networks, among others. These factors led to a process of pedagogical innovation and creative adaptation. It is concluded that teaching practices during the pandemic added innovative elements to the teaching experience, new challenges, and different perspectives on educational work in emergency circumstances.