Report summary
Building on early studies that found significant variation between schools in terms of their approaches to and priorities for remote learning during Covid-19 school closures, this report investigates how these variations manifested at subject level, focusing on secondary-school English teaching. Through interviews with school leaders, heads of department and teachers, it considers issues such as:
- how teachers’ online pedagogy is affected by their ability to use technology for learning, and the questions and opportunities raised by this
- the contrast between traditional forms of literacy and the broader, multimodal literacies that operate in digital environments
- differentials between synchronous and asynchronous learning
- the approaches and activities that most effectively promoted student engagement and understanding.
It offers recommendations for policymakers and teachers on how to develop online learning and pedagogy in future.