ERIC Number: EJ1395743
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-4056
EISSN: EISSN-2162-0725
Lessons Hong Kong Kindergarten Teachers Learned from the Pandemic
Wong, Kit Mei; Wang, Zhijing; Fu, Li
Childhood Education, v99 n4 p56-61 2023
As a consequence of both the political turmoil in late 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic, kindergarten children in Hong Kong were unable to attend school for three years. Various class resumption plans were developed from time to time. Overall, kindergarten children had in-person classes for only 103 days in the 2019-20 year and 174 days in the 2020-21 school year. During the suspensions, schools, including kindergartens, implemented plans for the purpose of "suspending classes without suspending learning." Online learning and electronic interaction underpinned the efforts to sustain a consistent delivery of education and curriculum adherence throughout school closures. Eventually, all kindergartens resumed in phases from 3 to 16 May 2022. Attendance on school campuses was still restricted if a certain number of COVID cases were confirmed in a class or school. While teachers were busy preparing for online classes and for resumption of in-person classes, they did not have much time for reflection. In this article, two teachers lead the authors through their experiences during the pandemic, teaching in two Hong Kong kindergartens offering non-local curriculum, serving children from mid to high socioeconomic status families, with diverse ethnicities. Then, they jointly reflect on their experiences with their mentor.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, COVID-19, Pandemics, Kindergarten, School Closing, Online Courses, Electronic Learning, Access to Education, In Person Learning, Teacher Attitudes, Preschool Teachers, Teaching Experience, Affordances, Barriers
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A