COVID-19 emerged as a pandemic that paralyzed the educational world in 2020. The Costa Rican Ministry of Education (MEP) took up two modalities, distance education (2020) and combined education (2021), with in-person education finally restored in 2022. This multiple case study consists of three single case studies in three different educational districts in Costa Rica´s Huetar Norte Region: San Carlos, Norte-Norte, and Sarapiquí. The three studies collected and triangulated data from 15 primary-school teachers using semi-structured virtual interviews, document gathering, video recordings, photo-elicitation, and body mapping. Content analysis was performed using WebQDA and ATLAS.ti to categorize the data. This multiple case study aims to describe the perceptions of primary English teachers regarding distance, combined, and in-person education to increase understanding of the educational context during the health crisis. The first study is completed, the second study is in the final stages of data interpretation, while the data are currently being analyzed for the third study. Preliminary results include identification of the tensions experienced by teachers as well as the emergence of self-efficacy skills required to comply with the modalities, the lack of coordination and communication between the MEP and the school districts, and the distinctive characteristics of each modality. Finally, due to their socioeconomic features, rural schools were also found to experience other misfortunes that became more visible during the pandemic. This multiple case study seeks to expand on existing literature and to better apprehend the phenomenon of the pandemic and its educational implications in rural communities in Costa Rica.

Authors:
Patricia Lopez-Estrada, Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
Jonathan Elizondo-Mejias, Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica, Costa Rica

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Patricia López-Estrada is an advocate for qualitative research and education extension. She currently works as an Associate Professor in the School of Languages and Social Sciences at the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, San Carlos Campus.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-patricia-l%C3%B3pez-estrada-447944228/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Patricia-Lopez-Estrada

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