Teacher collaboration supported EE during COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, countries world-wide responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by implementing lockdowns and strict policies to protect the health and well-being of their citizens. In-person instruction ceased, and teachers and students had to adapt to distance education and virtual technology, which were new informal learning settings. These challenges were exacerbated in education in Galápagos, Ecuador, due to the archipelago's remote location from the mainland, lack of financial and educational resources, and poor internet connectivity. In this study, the researchers conducted surveys, interviews, and focus groups to examine the ways Galapagueño teachers addressed the inequalities of technology access across their student bodies and how a sustainability-focused professional learning program impacted teacher collaboration and confidence.

Galápagos, Ecuador, is a well-known archipelago off the western coast of South America. The Galápagos Islands have exceptional biodiversity and many endemic species. It was the first recognized World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1978. Since then, the ecotourism industry has exploded and the human population has grown exponentially, reaching 30,000 people in 2019, distributed among four of the islands in the archipelago. Across the Galápagos, there are 435 teachers and 7,270 students. However, there are only three urban areas between the four inhabited islands, and two cities constitute 90% of the entire population and contain most schools. Due to the island chains' distance to the mainland, access to educational resources and technology have remained limited. In 2016, the Ministry of Education developed the Education for Sustainability in Galápagos Program to: 1) support educators as they developed student-centered lessons; 2) provide examples for teaching and learning local conservation and sustainability; and, 3) create professional development opportunities for teachers to connect with each other within their school and across other island schools. In March 2020, this structure was changed to center distance, or virtual, teaching and learning, and all teachers were required to use a specific curriculum during the 2020-2021 school year. The Ministry of Education developed student packets of materials appropriate for different school subjects and grade levels that could be accessed via email, phone applications like WhatsApp, print, and radio and television programs that provided website links. The Ministry of Education also asked teachers to contextualize the learning material to the students' local communities.

This study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in the latter half of 2020 and the first few months of 2021. The participants included parents, educators, and principals. The researchers deployed a multiple-choice survey to 2,951 parents for context on students' access to the internet and other technology needed for distance learning. A survey with open-ended questions about remote teaching experiences was sent to 259 teachers. The researchers hosted three focus groups on Zoom or WhatsApp, one group with two school principals, another group with three educators, and the third group with three parents. The discussions with the principals focused on the ways educators adapted to meeting student needs for remote learning. The focus group with educators inquired how they taught their remote lessons. Parents were asked to share their children's experiences with distance learning. The survey, interview, and focus group data were transcribed and analyzed.

Although most students had access to the internet (58.9%), internet connectivity was rated as poor or mediocre by 68.5% of parents. More than 80% of students used their phones and phone applications like WhatsApp to access the instructional materials from teachers because of poor bandwidth. Most teachers felt uncomfortable with remote learning (54.5%) and needed more technology resources (60.5%), while a third of the teachers wanted more help in developing remote lessons. Despite feeling uncomfortable with other technology, teachers felt quite comfortable using applications on their phone, like WhatsApp, to communicate with students.

Home visits were the most common way in which teachers stayed in touch and checked on their students because of the connectivity issues for students and the technology issues they encountered themselves. For example, the packet of materials from the Ministry was typically printed by teachers on their own, instead of being shared electronically, and distributed during home visits. Regarding content, teachers focused on the unique environment of the Galápagos Islands through original video and audio clips, activities that could be completed at home, and family involvement in discussions about sustainability and possible solutions to local environmental issues. These adaptations included using original video and audio clips of the Galápagos environment, offering activities that could be completed at home, and involving family in discussions about sustainability and possible solutions to local issues.

While distance teaching and learning was difficult for teachers, it also created more opportunities for professional learning. Teacher leaders led study circles of formal and nonformal educators as a means to share best practices and learn from each other. Teachers adapted environmental-based lessons and helped each other develop distance environmental education lessons that could be completed by students at home. Despite the challenging circumstances, this community-level approach to co-develop environmental education lessons was successful and valuable.

There were limitations to the study. Galápagos is a unique setting and the results cannot be generalized. The sample size was small and may not represent the experiences of all parents and teachers in the study area. Finally, the article did not share demographic information, which may have shed more light on the inequities of the few families and teachers who participated in the study.

Overall, the researchers acknowledged the Education for Sustainability in Galápagos Program is a model for pre-K-12 environmental educators regarding resilience, professional networking and content development, and adapting locally-focused environmental lessons. This study illustrated the positive outcomes for teachers as a result of the trials and tribulations of COVID-19. First, distance learning provided the opportunity for parents to be more involved in their children's education and allowed teachers the opportunity to impact environmental literacy both in students and parents. Second, the professional learning program demonstrated teacher networks can foster collaboration and agency in creating dynamic content for students. Finally, this experience during the pandemic could usher in technology in classrooms in the future for equitable access for all students and increase digital literacy in students.