Emergency teaching in secondary schools in Denmark : 'some students flourish, some wither'

Educational institutions in Denmark were forced into a temporary closure due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The current study investigates changes in teaching practice during quarantine restrictions. This study is part of a wider investigation on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching practices. Ninety-nine secondary education teachers in Denmark filled out an online survey. Frequencies and percentages were obtained to analyze quantitative data. A thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Teachers changed their practice from a constructivist approach to a traditional teaching method resulting in a lack of dialogue, interaction and student motivation. Although teachers’ workload increased, they could not preserve the quality of the learning experience. Teachers did not take advantage of the digital tools to differentiate learning and to increase motivation. Implications for practice for the design of online learning courses in the future are discussed