(Student) teacher views: Impact of technology on teaching and learning during Covid-19 in Samoa

Abstract

O le tali atu a Samoa i le Koviti-19 sa faigata ona o tagata ma meafaaletino e pei o tekonolosi ma auala sa faaaogaina mo le a’oa’o atu ma le a’oa’oina aua e le’i fa’ataitaia, pe na mautu se fa’ aaogaina muamua e o’o mai i le taimi nei.  O le Koviti-19, sa fa’amalosia e le malo o Samoa le puipuiga o tagata i feoaiga vava mamao faapea ma le tapunia o nofoaga mo le saogalemu o tagata uma. Sa faapea fo’i ona suia le a’oa’o atu ma le a’oa’oina o tama ma teine aoga faapea ma faiaoga. Ua avea ma faalavelave le tapunia o aoga, galuega ma nofoaga i le fa’agaoioiga o galuega, ma fa’alapotopotoga. O le utiuti o alagaoa e pei o mea faitino na a’afia tele ai le a’oa’o atu ma le a’oa’oina i le tapunia o aoga. O le tali atu i le Koviti-19 sa unaia ai faiaoga ia fa’aleleia le malamalama i le fa’aaogaina o tekonolosi mo aoaoga. O le Matagaluega o Aoga, Ta’aloga ma Aganu’u (MATA) sa galulue fa’avavevave e faatino a’oa’oga e fa’aaoga ai upega tafa’ilagi e tali ai i le Koviti-19 ma aiaiga fa’ale tulafono a le malo o Samoa i le tapunia o le atunu’u. O le fa’amasaniga o faiaoga, tama ma teine aoga i a’oa’oga e lagolago ai le fa’aaogaina o upega tafa’ilagi, ma tomai fa’apitoa mo komipiuta sa avea ma fa’amuamua i tapenaga aua le fa’aleleia o aoaoga i totonu o Samoa. O fanau mai aiga e leai ni alagaoa e pei o komipiuta ma upega tafailagi o i latou nei sa tuga lo latou afaina. Sa fa’ailoa i tagata uma ia fa’atauaina le fa’atinoga o vaega tau le soifua maloloina ia malu puipuia mai le faamai o le Koviti-19, ae maise aua ne’i iai ni afaina tuga o a’oao’ga mo le fanau. O faiaoga o lo’o i totonu o aoga ua toe foi mai e a’ooga i le faailoga maualuga o le tusi pasi tau a’oa’oga mo le tulaga lua, ma o loo a’oa’oina i totonu o le Saofaiga o A’oa’oga i le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa, ma o i latou ia sa auai i lenei suesuega.

Samoa’s educational response to Covid-19 was impeded by human and physical obstacles largely because the new educational technologies and strategies that came into effect to support teaching and learning had not been trialled nor implemented well to date. During Covid-19, the Samoan government emphasised the importance of social distancing and lockdown as health safety measures necessary for the welfare of all, but these changed learning and teaching for students and teachers and impacted daily organisation and operations for these people, and schools. Samoa’s limited physical and human resources affected schools’ lockdown and teaching and learning. Responses to Covid-19 called for teachers’ improved understanding of educational technology and its utilisation. The Ministry of Education, Sports, and Culture (MESC) acted immediately to activate online learning in response to Covid-19 and the government’s lock-down policy. Familiarising teachers and students with online support and acquiring appropriate computer skills were Samoa’s immediate educational goals. Nevertheless, the children of families without access to resources like computers and the Internet were the most affected. It is acknowledged that for citizens to survive Covid-19 it was vital to adopt appropriate health safety measures, although it is also important to ensure that no student’s educational progress is negatively impacted. Teacher upgraders studying for the Bachelor of Education primary teaching in the Faculty of Education at the National University of Samoa (NUS) were the participants.