COVID-19: The Impact the Pandemic had on Teaching in Schools

Abstract

This thesis is a quantitative study on the impacts that COVID-19 has had on teaching instruction and student learning. Data were collected from a sample of teachers who taught pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in schools throughout Bergen County, New Jersey. The focus of this study was on factors related to teaching dynamics and how these factors affected the social and academic well-being of students. The results of this study indicated that the pandemic created several challenges for teachers, especially in urban school districts. Additionally, teachers believed students encountered several challenges both with school and home life that impacted their ability to learn. Overall, the findings and results of this study highlight the influence the pandemic had on teaching and learning. Due to the newness of the pandemic and the ongoing changes to instruction and thus learning strategies, there are still important implications for future research on this topic.