Distance Learning/Teaching during the Covid-19 Emergency: the Perspective of School Principals

1. Introduction This essay is the result of some more extensive research carried out previously by the DITES (Digital Technologies, Education & Society) research centre of Rome’s Link Campus University, acting as coordinator of a multi-stakeholder partnership . The pandemic which affected not only Italy and its education system, but the entire world, caused an unprecedented crisis by imposing distance teaching/learning (DTL), in hopes of bestowing continuity on the educational function. Although attempts to incorporate digital technologies were widespread here in Italy (Capogna et. al, 2017; Capogna et. al, 2020) the turning point imposed by the forced closure of schools caused an organisational, personal and professional shock to all the system’s stakeholders. Within this critical scenario, the figure of the school principal (SP) appeared more central than ever with its mandatory task of connecting and constructing the "techno-social" scholastic spaces within which to enable technologies to operate in order to overcome the emergency. The survey discussed here was conducted using a multidimensional perspective and a design geared to investigate a number of different targets such as SPs, students, teachers and parents. Its focal tool was a multi-faceted questionnaire divided into five common sections featuring parallel and target-specific items. The first section outlined the respondents’ profiles and provided professional information about them. The second investigated the organisational (Barnard, 1968; Cocozza, 2020; Mintzberg, 1983) and methodological aspects activated to provide remote teaching/learning solutions designed to meet the challenges caused by the emergency. The third section explored the digital divide (Hargittai, 2010; Jackson, 2008; Light, 2001; Lopez, 2010; Mossberger et. al.; Norris, 2000; Stansbury et al., 2003) - considered a focal topic -, which foregrounds the profound cultural and social state of inequality existing in Italy. The fourth section examined the overall satisfaction of the various actors involved in the process, paying particular attention to internal organisational processes, following SWOT-analysis-based self-evaluation principles. The final section of the questionnaire collected the answers to open questions in order to go more deeply into the transformation taking place, in particular, that regarding the SPs, repercussions on their role, and the managerial responsibilities assigned to them by DL 165/01. The main research questions we shall discuss here are: ● the main critical factors identified and the relevant strategies adopted by the schools during the emergency; ● the key issues that - during the pandemic – were experienced daily by the school’s main actors. In other words, what factors ensured that schools rediscovered their role as "resilient organisations"? By listening to the protagonists of this epochal crisis, we sought to become acquainted with the strategies adopted by the SLs to tackle the organisational problems that arose in their schools. Schools were plunged into a series of changes which radically redesigned all their previous internal and external organisational processes. This paper, of an empirical nature, reconstructs and analyses a new set of primary data collected using a web survey. It was carried out between May and July 2020 and, with the help of the social media, involved 474 SPs, 3,444 teachers, 787 students, 2,116 parents, for a total of 6,821 interviewees. This paper focuses on the experiences of the SPs consulted, with specific emphasis on the impact of distance learning/teaching upon the organisation and implementation of school e-leadership. Although the sample was auto selected and not probabilistic , it was ample enough to trigger a reflection regarding the lockdown setback, through the lens of the concept of organisational resilience applied to schools, in particular, to the role of the SL. Because brevity is essential here, this report focuses on the factorial analysis carried out regarding three of the dimensions observed in relation to the profile of the SPs. Hence, starting from the framework of the organisational perspective assumed (§ 1), we shall illustrate, in brief, the methodology and sample (§ 2), the solutions adopted (§ 3) as well as an analysis of some latent dimensions (§ 4), in order to reflect, ultimately, upon the school as a resilient organisation.

This essay is the result of some more extensive research carried out previously by the DITES (Digital Technologies, Education & Society) research centre of Rome’s Link Campus University, acting as coordinator of a multi-stakeholder partnership . The pandemic which affected not only Italy and its education system, but the entire world, caused an unprecedented crisis by imposing distance teaching/learning (DTL), in hopes of bestowing continuity on the educational function. Although attempts to incorporate digital technologies were widespread here in Italy (Capogna et. al, 2017; Capogna et. al, 2020) the turning point imposed by the forced closure of schools caused an organisational, personal and professional shock to all the system’s stakeholders. Within this critical scenario, the figure of the school principal (SP) appeared more central than ever with its mandatory task of connecting and constructing the "techno-social" scholastic spaces within which to enable technologies to operate in order to overcome the emergency. The survey discussed here was conducted using a multidimensional perspective and a design geared to investigate a number of different targets such as SPs, students, teachers and parents. Its focal tool was a multi-faceted questionnaire divided into five common sections featuring parallel and target-specific items. The first section outlined the respondents’ profiles and provided professional information about them. The second investigated the organisational (Barnard, 1968; Cocozza, 2020; Mintzberg, 1983) and methodological aspects activated to provide remote teaching/learning solutions designed to meet the challenges caused by the emergency. The third section explored the digital divide (Hargittai, 2010; Jackson, 2008; Light, 2001; Lopez, 2010; Mossberger et. al.; Norris, 2000; Stansbury et al., 2003) - considered a focal topic -, which foregrounds the profound cultural and social state of inequality existing in Italy. The fourth section examined the overall satisfaction of the various actors involved in the process, paying particular attention to internal organisational processes, following SWOT-analysis-based self-evaluation principles. The final section of the questionnaire collected the answers to open questions in order to go more deeply into the transformation taking place, in particular, that regarding the SPs, repercussions on their role, and the managerial responsibilities assigned to them by DL 165/01. The main research questions we shall discuss here are: ● the main critical factors identified and the relevant strategies adopted by the schools during the emergency; ● the key issues that - during the pandemic – were experienced daily by the school’s main actors. In other words, what factors ensured that schools rediscovered their role as "resilient organisations"? By listening to the protagonists of this epochal crisis, we sought to become acquainted with the strategies adopted by the SLs to tackle the organisational problems that arose in their schools. Schools were plunged into a series of changes which radically redesigned all their previous internal and external organisational processes. This paper, of an empirical nature, reconstructs and analyses a new set of primary data collected using a web survey. It was carried out between May and July 2020 and, with the help of the social media, involved 474 SPs, 3,444 teachers, 787 students, 2,116 parents, for a total of 6,821 interviewees. This paper focuses on the experiences of the SPs consulted, with specific emphasis on the impact of distance learning/teaching upon the organisation and implementation of school e-leadership. Although the sample was not probabilistic , it was ample enough to trigger a reflection regarding the lockdown setback, through the lens of the concept of organisational resilience applied to schools, in particular, to the role of the SL. Because brevity is essential here, this report focuses on the factorial analysis carried out regarding three of the dimensions observed in relation to the profile of the SPs. Hence, starting from the framework of the organisational perspective assumed (§ 1), we shall illustrate, in brief, the methodology and sample (§ 2), the solutions adopted (§ 3) as well as an analysis of some latent dimensions (§ 4), in order to reflect, ultimately, upon the school as a resilient organisation.