Hybrid Learning: a Qualitative Case Study of a School Reopening During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Date

2022-05

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Abstract

In August 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all schools would be on distance learning if their county COVID-19 cases were too high. However, one district, Lucerne Valley Unified, wanted to get their elementary students back to in-person instruction and not experience a considerable amount of learning loss. So, the district worked alongside county health officials and applied for a waiver to get all of their TK-6th grade students back, first focusing on students in special education, English language learners, and those deemed at risk of failing. This case study focuses on Ridgemont School’s journey to provide hybrid instruction and how they met the needs of at-risk students from special populations. The case study analyzes the interviews of ten employees at the school and 25 parents whose children participated in the hybrid learning model for the 2020-2021 school year. It also shares the personal account of the researcher who is a participant observer sharing my thoughts and feelings during those events. Children’s data from the interviewed parents were also included to demonstrate the program’s success. This case study revealed that schools could reopen safely under crisis if appropriate strategies are applied, motivations fuel the mission of an organization, and hybrid learning is impactful for student progress. Since there is limited research on hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study provides a written account of how individuals worked through the crisis and their motivations. These accounts were analyzed to answer the four research questions. The case study answered the following questions: What was the reopening process? How did this process develop? What motivated stakeholders to reopen? What setbacks and challenges did the school encounter while reopening, and how did the stakeholders cope with those challenges? How did the school meet the needs of groups like Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) and English Learners (EL) in this hybrid learning model? The study shared that the reopening process involved many stakeholders and required schools to meet the safety regulations mandated by the local health department. Results shared that stakeholders’ motivations focused on having students return for quality instruction and social-emotional learning. Participants also shared that factors like fear/anxiety, mandates, socialization, and the internet contributed to many issues during the reopening process. The case study also reveals the school’s services to particular subgroups to have them return for additional days. These feelings and accounts are reported in the research and highlight the themes that emerge from the interviews and various documents.

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Keywords

Hybrid Learning, English language learners, Special education, distance learning, remote learning, crisis management, Functionalism, COVID-19

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