Combined Education During the Pandemic: A Case Study in the Norte-Norte Regional Directorate of Education, Costa Rica

Abstract

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational systems worldwide. In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Public Education halted the school year in March and implemented a distance education modality. By the end of that year, authorities initiated a gradual return to in-person education in 2021, introducing a combined education model. This qualitative-inductive research study, employing a descriptive case-study design, collected and triangulated data through semi-structured interviews, document gathering, and photo-elicitation. The data were categorized and analyzed using ATLAS.ti software through content analysis. The study aims to describe the perceptions of six primary English teachers from the Huetar-Norte region regarding combined education, offering insights into pedagogical mediation processes and teachers' contexts during the health crisis. Findings reveal participants' emotions and self-efficacy coping mechanisms during the pandemic, as well as the teaching and learning processes concerning didactic planning, pedagogical mediation, evaluation, and curriculum coverage. The study underscores the importance of strategies to mitigate educational lag and advocates for initiatives that enhance regional empowerment, with schools and local education authorities playing pivotal roles in addressing community-specific educational challenges.