SS72 - Teacher Perceptions of How COVID-19 Affected Student Literacy Development
SCURS Disciplines
Education
Document Type
General Poster
Invited Presentation Choice
Not Applicable
Abstract
This study investigated elementary teachers’ perceptions of how changes to instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced students’ literacy development. The main research question explored was: What are elementary teachers’ perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online or hybrid learning impacted student literacy development? This study also explored three sub-questions: How did teachers adapt their literacy instruction during remote and hybrid learning?, Which areas of literacy development were perceived as most significantly affected by disruptions caused by the pandemic? and Which groups of students were perceived as most impacted in their literacy development and in what ways? This study used a qualitative research approach of semi-structured interviews with five elementary school teachers from three school districts in the Southeastern United States who taught prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview questions included teachers’ experiences of successful strategies for bridging literacy gaps caused by remote or hybrid learning. Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in teacher perceptions regarding changes to literacy instruction due to the remote or hybrid learning format. There was a focus on specific challenges for students in the early grades who did not already have foundational reading skills. Findings from this study will inform educators and families of the extent to which student literacy performance was affected during the pandemic, as well as provide strategies that teachers have found effective for catching students up in situations of severe learning loss.
Keywords
COVID-19, Pandemic, Early Literacy, Education
Start Date
10-4-2026 9:30 AM
Location
University Readiness Center Greatroom
End Date
10-4-2026 11:30 AM
SS72 - Teacher Perceptions of How COVID-19 Affected Student Literacy Development
University Readiness Center Greatroom
This study investigated elementary teachers’ perceptions of how changes to instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced students’ literacy development. The main research question explored was: What are elementary teachers’ perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to online or hybrid learning impacted student literacy development? This study also explored three sub-questions: How did teachers adapt their literacy instruction during remote and hybrid learning?, Which areas of literacy development were perceived as most significantly affected by disruptions caused by the pandemic? and Which groups of students were perceived as most impacted in their literacy development and in what ways? This study used a qualitative research approach of semi-structured interviews with five elementary school teachers from three school districts in the Southeastern United States who taught prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview questions included teachers’ experiences of successful strategies for bridging literacy gaps caused by remote or hybrid learning. Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in teacher perceptions regarding changes to literacy instruction due to the remote or hybrid learning format. There was a focus on specific challenges for students in the early grades who did not already have foundational reading skills. Findings from this study will inform educators and families of the extent to which student literacy performance was affected during the pandemic, as well as provide strategies that teachers have found effective for catching students up in situations of severe learning loss.