Exploring how teachers collected and used data to make decisions about their practice while working in uncertain, rapidly changing conditions during lockdown and school closures, this report considers how teachers ensured continuity of learning for their students and the extent to which they modified learning designs or outcomes for new, remote learning environments.

Report summary

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted education systems worldwide, forcing teachers to find new ways to teach students when physical attendance at school was not possible. Our study investigated how teachers gathered and used data to understand and cater for the diverse educational needs of students in remote learning. We surveyed teachers to understand the challenges faced by emergency remote teaching (ERT) and how they gathered and used existing data to meet their students’ needs. While some teachers had experienced online learning as students, few had taught remotely or online. This meant that teachers had limited experience on which to draw when adjusting to ERT. This was reflected in the limited change to data collection during remote teaching. Our research demonstrates a need to develop teachers’ pedagogical practice and use of data to manage differentiated learning and a flexible response to the given environment in which they are teaching.