The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change
This paper advances our understanding of how schools can become change agents capable of transforming local practice to address the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. It presents a novel application of cultural-historical activity theory to reinterpret evidence on widespread learning los...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Ljubljana
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/article/view/1133 |
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| author | Riikka Hofmann Gabrielle Arenge Siobhan Dickens Javiera Marfan Mairead Ryan Ngee Derk Tiong Bhaveet Radia Lenka Janik Blaskova |
| author_facet | Riikka Hofmann Gabrielle Arenge Siobhan Dickens Javiera Marfan Mairead Ryan Ngee Derk Tiong Bhaveet Radia Lenka Janik Blaskova |
| author_sort | Riikka Hofmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper advances our understanding of how schools can become change agents capable of transforming local practice to address the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. It presents a novel application of cultural-historical activity theory to reinterpret evidence on widespread learning loss and increasing educational inequities resulting from the pandemic, and to identify scalable transformative learning opportunities through reframing the crisis as a double stimulation. By reviewing evidence of the emerging educational landscape, we first develop a picture of the new ‘problem space’ upon which schools must act. We develop a problem space map to serve as the first stimulus to articulate local challenges. Integrating this problem space with research on professional change, we identify conceptual tools to capture learning gaps and implement pedagogic interventions at scale, in order to enhance schools’ agency in directly addressing the crisis. These tools can act as the second stimulus, enabling educators to address local challenges. We conclude by discussing the Covid-19 educational crisis as a unique stimulus for professional learning and outline the potential for durable shifts in educational thinking and practice beyond the pandemic. We argue that this unprecedented historic disruption can be harnessed as a transformative professional learning opportunity. In particular, we consider how research on professional change offers local, scalable interventions and tools that can support educators in preventing the new insights from ‘slipping away’ post-pandemic. Utilising the notions of boundaries and tool-mediated professional change, we examine the ways in which this disruption generates opportunities to envision alternative futures for equitable learning in school. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-435abc97f6f94e5099f1540d6066c86d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2232-2647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | University of Ljubljana |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-435abc97f6f94e5099f1540d6066c86d2025-08-20T03:04:01ZengUniversity of LjubljanaCenter for Educational Policy Studies Journal2232-26472021-10-0111Special Issue396610.26529/cepsj.1133The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable ChangeRiikka HofmannGabrielle ArengeSiobhan DickensJaviera MarfanMairead RyanNgee Derk TiongBhaveet RadiaLenka Janik BlaskovaThis paper advances our understanding of how schools can become change agents capable of transforming local practice to address the challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. It presents a novel application of cultural-historical activity theory to reinterpret evidence on widespread learning loss and increasing educational inequities resulting from the pandemic, and to identify scalable transformative learning opportunities through reframing the crisis as a double stimulation. By reviewing evidence of the emerging educational landscape, we first develop a picture of the new ‘problem space’ upon which schools must act. We develop a problem space map to serve as the first stimulus to articulate local challenges. Integrating this problem space with research on professional change, we identify conceptual tools to capture learning gaps and implement pedagogic interventions at scale, in order to enhance schools’ agency in directly addressing the crisis. These tools can act as the second stimulus, enabling educators to address local challenges. We conclude by discussing the Covid-19 educational crisis as a unique stimulus for professional learning and outline the potential for durable shifts in educational thinking and practice beyond the pandemic. We argue that this unprecedented historic disruption can be harnessed as a transformative professional learning opportunity. In particular, we consider how research on professional change offers local, scalable interventions and tools that can support educators in preventing the new insights from ‘slipping away’ post-pandemic. Utilising the notions of boundaries and tool-mediated professional change, we examine the ways in which this disruption generates opportunities to envision alternative futures for equitable learning in school.https://cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/article/view/1133covid-19learning losscultural-historical activity theoryimplementationtransformative agency |
| spellingShingle | Riikka Hofmann Gabrielle Arenge Siobhan Dickens Javiera Marfan Mairead Ryan Ngee Derk Tiong Bhaveet Radia Lenka Janik Blaskova The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal covid-19 learning loss cultural-historical activity theory implementation transformative agency |
| title | The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change |
| title_full | The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change |
| title_fullStr | The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change |
| title_short | The Covid-19 Learning Crisis as a Challenge and an Opportunity for Schools: An Evidence Review and Conceptual Synthesis of Research-Based Tools for Sustainable Change |
| title_sort | covid 19 learning crisis as a challenge and an opportunity for schools an evidence review and conceptual synthesis of research based tools for sustainable change |
| topic | covid-19 learning loss cultural-historical activity theory implementation transformative agency |
| url | https://cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/article/view/1133 |
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