CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has launched the regional teacher survey to explore how education systems have been affected by school closures and the massive shift from face-to-face to distance education.
The survey is being undertaken by SUMMA, the first Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Education for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (KIX LAC), the OECS and the Ministry of Education of Guyana.
“The Teacher’s Voice, Educational Practices in the Context of COVID-19”, aims to obtain information on the pedagogical practices developed in primary and secondary schools in Latin America and the Caribbean in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The St. Lucia-based OECS Commission said that the objective of the survey is to explore how education systems have been affected by school closures and the massive shift from face-to-face to distance education.
It said comparative data on how schools and teachers are facing this crisis will allow us to learn from the different experiences implemented and their possible replication.
“Although countries in the region have implemented emergency remote teaching initiatives, the prolonged closure of schools will have repercussions on learning,” said Javier Gonzalez, SUMMA director.
“We want to hear the voice of the teachers, to know the wide range of strategies generated, their responses to maintain the link with students and management teams, and the great work done by you to carry out your work remotely and adapt your work in this new context,” he added.
KIX LAC director, Raúl Chacón, speaking about the initiative said “we want to contribute to face the current educational challenges in our region, paying attention to the different elements that teachers report regarding the teaching and learning processes together with their students, highlighting at the same time the good experiences and lessons learned in times of pandemic”.
The survey is being conducted in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with the support of the ministries of education of the countries.
The results will be presented in September 2021, which will provide inputs to various actors in the education system to design strategies that safeguard student learning, support the work of teachers and promote the well-being of the educational community.
