The opinion of Slovene (mother tongue) teachers on distance learning in primary schools

Slovenščina ima v vzgojno-izobraževalnem procesu v Republiki Slove-niji več vlog, med drugim tudi vlogo učnega predmeta, ki je temeljni splošnoizobraževalni predmet v javni osnovni šoli in ima izmed vseh predmetov največ ur. Vsi učitelji so bili prvič v zgodovini šolstva (najprej v šolskem letu 2019/20, nato pa še v šolskem letu 2020/21) med epide-mijo koronavirusa covid-19 prisiljeni poučevati na daljavo. Izsledki ra-ziskave, v kateri je sodelovalo 348 učiteljev, ki imajo v osnovni šoli kom-petence za poučevanje materinščine (59 % učiteljev razrednega pouka in 41 % učiteljev slovenščine), med drugim kažejo, da imajo učitelji, čeprav čutijo, da jih delo na daljavo psihično in fizično bolj utrudi kot delo v raz-redu, po večini dober odnos do poučevanja na daljavo in da se počutijo opolnomočene za tovrstno poučevanje. Med prednostmi poučevanja na daljavo učitelji omenjajo večjo uporabo sodobne informacijsko-komu-nikacijske tehnologije, več uporabe e-gradiva in možnost formativnega spremljanja učencev. Med največjimi težavami poučevanja (slovenščine) na daljavo pa omenjajo: primere izmikanja in nesodelovanja učencev, pomanjkanje nebesedne komunikacije in s tem oteženo razumevanje ter tehnične težave. Večina učiteljev meni, da bodo učenci z izobraževanjem na daljavo pridobili manj oz. precej manj znanja, kot bi ga s poučeva-njem v razredu. Učitelji, ki se počutijo bolj opolnomočene za poučeva-nje na daljavo, imajo tudi boljši odnos do poučevanja materinščine na daljavo in so tudi bolj zadovoljni s komunikacijo z učenci na daljavo. Učitelji, ki so imeli v sklopu službe potrebna izobraževanja za poučeva-nje na daljavo, se počutijo bolj opolnomočene za poučevanje na daljavo kot učitelji, ki takih izobraževanj niso imeli.The Slovene language has several roles in the educational process in the Republic of Slovenia, including its role as a subject in the curriculum in its own right. It is a basic general education subject in public primary schools and has the most hours of all of the subjects. All teachers were forced to teach remotely for the first time in the history of education (first during the 2019/20 school year and then in the 2020/21 school year) during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. The results of a survey comprising 348 teachers with the ability to teach the mother tongue at primary school level (grades 1–9 of primary school59% were class curriculum teachers and 41% were Slovene language teachers) show, among other things, that teachers mostly have a good attitude towards distance teaching and feel empowered for this type of teaching, although they feel that this method makes them mentally and physically more tired than teaching in the class-room. Among the advantages of distance teaching, teachers mention the greater use of modern information and communication technology, more use of e-material and the opportunity for formal monitoring of students. In their opinion, the biggest problems of distance teaching (of the Slo-vene language) include: lack of student participationlack of non-verbal communication, thus creating difficulties in understandingand technical issues. Most teachers believe that students acquire less knowledge or far less knowledge by distance education than they would from education in the classroom. Teachers who feel more empowered to teach remotely also have a better attitude towards teaching their mother tongue and are more satisfied with the communication aspect with students in distant teaching. Teachers who have received the necessary training for distance teaching as part of their work feel more empowered to teach this way than teachers who have not had such training