A study conducted in 2020 has explored how teachers and Learning Support Educators (LSEs) in Maltese primary state schools collaborated remotely during the physical school closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The outbreak of the pandemic has brought about instability and uncertainty within educational systems. In this unprecedented situation where no educator or student was allowed to attend school physically, the alternative was to shift the teaching and learning process outside the four walls of the physical classroom to the online world. The shift from physical to remote teaching had various implications on several stakeholders, including the class teachers and LSEs who had to shift their collaboration to the online classroom.
A qualitative study based on the experience of six teacher-LSE teams was conducted through semi-structured interviews. The six teams teach at different levels (from Kindergarten 2 to Year 6) across schools in different geographical (northern, central and southern) areas. This research focused on the experiences of teachers and LSEs working remotely in a collaborative manner. Collaboration is a tool that provides opportunities for team members to learn from each other, share their skills and improve their practice.
Research suggests that collaboration amongst teaching teams is beneficial for learners and educators alike. This study was conducted through the lens of a model which was identified for the purpose of this same study – the COACTION Model. This acronym represents the following elements: clarity in roles, open communication, accountability, conflict resolution, trust, intrinsic motivation, optimistic approach, and nurturing attitude.
Teacher and LSE teams in this research explained how, although their roles of class teacher and LSE are different, these were highly complementary during online teaching. The teams unanimously agreed that a degree of flexibility was necessary for online teaching to be successful.
Given that not every family was familiar with and confident in using Microsoft Teams® (MS TEAMS), some teams noted how online lessons were delivered using other platforms such as WebEx Cisco®, Messenger®, as well as using Google Classroom® as an online repository. The six teams explained how communication between the educators, the students and the parents extended into after-school hours and at the weekend.
A positive atmosphere is essential for a team to function properly and this was crucial during such unprecedented circumstances. The educators explained how fostering a positive atmosphere amongst team members was important so as to establish a positive ‘online classroom’ environment. Teacher-LSE teams explained how they continuously encouraged one another to come up with positive, fun activities. However, at times frustration was experienced by educators due to the limitations of what can be done online, especially when it comes to hands-on activities.
After narrating their experiences, educators were asked to provide recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.
The participants recommend that practitioners develop a robust team identity by making decisions and acting together, being present for all online lessons and designing a framework where teaching material and resources are brainstormed and prepared together. Within such a framework, lessons delivered are evaluated together while keeping communication channels as open as possible. This is done by establishing a strong collaborative relationship from the start, being sensitive to each other’s realities, instilling a culture of trust, and motivating one another. When common goals are set, a synchronized mindset helps the team members to flourish and act as role models for all learners.
The participants were also asked to provide their recommendations to policymakers should another physical school lockdown have to occur in Malta. The participants recommend that policymakers suggest a common platform for online teaching, provide mandatory (not optional) training for all educators, digitize as many resources as possible, and provide further access to them as numerous educators felt panicked due to a lack of readily-available resources. They also suggest issuing guidelines outlining clear responsibilities, timeframes, expectations, and frequency of lessons. They also recommend that policies are provided with regards to the use of Ministry-supplied and personal devices, and to revise existing policies in a way that ensures that such policies are translated and applied to the digital world. It has also been suggested that upskilling courses about digital literacy skills, the online teaching platform and the process of online teaching are provided to families, parents and legal guardians.
This study hopes to shed light on the positive experiences of collaboration within primary schools in Malta, and the way forward for teaching teams to flourish and maximise their potential. Such encouraging collaboration between teachers and LSEs ought to be appreciated, celebrated and replicated, as often as possible.
The study has been authored by two doctoral researchers: Heathcliff Schembri from the University of East Anglia and Claire Sciberras from the University of the West of Scotland. It has been published in the Malta Review of Educational Research and the researchers may be contacted on [email protected]