Pedagogika

This empirical survey aims to explore the field of students’ views on distance education at a time of inevitable societal change resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. The paper presents the results of a qualitative research study focused on pupils’ perception and evaluation of distance learning from October 2020 to May 2021, especially in comparison with classroom learning, which preceded distance learning and then followed it. Eighty-six lower secondary students were given a written task after coming to school; they answered questions concerning their perception of the distance education that had just finished. By means of open coding, several basic topics which were repeated in the statements were identified and interpreted. These emerging areas of topics provided a relatively detailed insight into how the children viewed significant changes in teaching, especially formal ones but also ones relating to content. The conclusions help to define and identify the quality of teaching in specific conditions from the point of view of those at whom teaching is aimed – the students themselves.