Tele-Education under the COVID-19 Crisis: Asymmetries in Romanian Education

• Published in: Symmetry (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 9; p. 1502
• Main Authors: Nicolau, Cristina, Henter, Ramona, Roman, Nadinne, Neculau, Andrea, Miclaus, Roxana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Asymmetry; Change management; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Developing countries; digital teacher training; digitalization; Digitization; Distance learning; Education; ICT infrastructure; Infrastructure; LDCs; Qualitative analysis; replace face-to-face education; Students; Teaching; tele-education; Romania
• DOI: 10.3390/sym12091502
• ISSN: 2073-8994

The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened social and educational asymmetries in some developing countries, such as Romania. Tele-education failed to replace face-to-face education due to the lack of symmetrical policy, connectivity, infrastructure, digitalized educational materials and digital competences. Was this issue predictable and, hence, the stakeholders’ mission failed? Our qualitative research aims at analyzing, in depth, these digitalization asymmetries, with a sample formed of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists working for/with Romanian 1–4 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) schools. The collected primary data were processed with Atlas.ti 8. The results emphasize major key areas to be addressed with future public symmetrical policy and change management strategies: equal access to infrastructure, as well as development of compulsory and complementary digital skills (for teachers and students). The necessity to support school management in accessing funding is also required to enhance digitalization.