A Qualitative Case Study on How the Transition to Remote Learning Affected Elementary Language Arts Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Emergency remote learning (or remote learning) altered K-12 instruction and occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Mandatory lockdowns and social distancing efforts transformed face-to-face instruction into a new pedagogical model called emergency remote learning or remote learning. In this qualitative case study, I aimed to understand how third-grade language arts instruction was affected during the transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of general education teachers, learning support teachers, school administrators, and residential care providers. Additionally, the researcher used Moore’s (1997) transactional distance theory to investigate which strategies (methods, materials, and technologies) were successful or unsuccessful in remote learning during the spring and fall of 2020. I found that the transition to emergency remote learning was a continual trial, error, and refinement process. As emergency remote learning days extended past 21 days, content from instructional packets started to run out, and teachers scrambled to devise creative alternatives. In addition, teachers observed that the language arts experience of students was directly impacted by the location where they were participating. Students participating from home were less likely to engage in learning versus students participating on campus during emergency remote learning