Ethnographic Reflections of K–12 Distance Education in Saudi Arabia: Shaping the Future of Post-Pandemic Digital Education

Hibah Aladsani (), Ahlam Al-Abdullatif, Manal Almuhanna and Azza Gameil
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Hibah Aladsani: Department of Curricula and Instruction “Education Technology”, School of Education, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
Ahlam Al-Abdullatif: Department of Curricula and Instruction “Education Technology”, School of Education, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia
Manal Almuhanna: Department of Educational Technology, School of Education, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia
Azza Gameil: Department of Curricula and Instruction “Education Technology”, School of Education, King Faisal University, Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-17

Abstract: The health, social, and economic challenges we have faced have contributed to the improvement of educational styles and learning environments. Globally, the reflections of COVID-19 have contributed to the re-perception of the future of education and the anticipation of new scenarios. This qualitative study aims to deeply examine and understand the repercussions of distance education—specifically K–12 education (kindergarten to twelfth grade) during the pandemic in Saudi Arabia—and, with the findings, build anticipated scenarios for future post-pandemic digital education. This study adopts an ethnographic approach to investigate the cultural perspectives of those whose education was and has been greatly affected by this transition. Qualitative large-scale data (comprising 36 observations, 387 individual interviews, and 177 focus groups) were collected for 7 months in 2021 from 600 participants, all of whom were connecting in various ways to the K–12 educational system and varied by gender, age, profession, and academic degree. The findings were categorized into four themes: (1) educational outcomes, (2) teaching landscape, (3) parental involvement, and (4) societal and life aspects. The findings are discussed in a style that presents the most crucial aspects that we must consider for anticipated scenarios of future post-pandemic education. Each presents critical implications for teachers, students, parents, researchers, and educational authorities.

Keywords: culture; educational outcomes; teaching style; parental involvement; qualitative research; education technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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