In the second year of the pandemic, most teachers conducted educational activities remotely or in a hybrid format, reveals ICT Education

Connectivity and teacher training are still obstacles to conducting teaching and learning activities using digital technologies, according to the CGI.br survey

With the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social isolation, digital technologies took on a key role in basic education, supporting the continuation of teaching activities across the country. In the second year of the pandemic, most teachers stated that the school where they work offered classes and activities in a hybrid modality (91%), combining both remote and face-to-face educational strategies. Two-fifths (39%) mentioned that the school where they teach had fully remote classes, a higher percentage than the offer of fully face-to-face classes (12%) during the surveyed period. This is revealed by the ICT Education 2021 survey, which for the first time also interviewed teachers who teach in rural areas. Conducted by the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), the survey was released this Tuesday (12) by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).

“The data reveal a high proportion in carrying out activities with the support of digital technologies. On the other hand, teachers understand it is necessary to improve connectivity in schools and expand training strategies, so they can effectively adopt technological tools in teaching and learning processes,” analyzes Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br|NIC.br.

Support for conducting remote activities
Regarding the support offered by the school or education network for conducting remote activities, most teachers (60%) said they received free access to educational apps, platforms, and resources. Proportions were lower among teachers in municipal schools (49%) compared to those working in state (74%) and private schools (70%).

State school teachers were the most likely to report that the teaching network provided a cell phone chip or covered the data and voice plan (18%)—in municipal schools, the percentage was 7%. In contrast, 26% of teachers reported not receiving any support, a percentage higher among those teaching in municipal schools (34%) and rural schools (36%).

Devices used
In conducting remote or hybrid activities, a large portion of teachers used cell phones (93%) or laptops (84%). Three-quarters (74%) reported that the device was for their exclusive use, while 23% said they shared it with others living in the same household, and 2% had to borrow or go elsewhere to access a device.

Among teachers in rural areas, 12% did not have computers at home and relied exclusively on cell phones for remote or hybrid educational activities.

Regarding Internet usage, 97% of respondents used this resource in conducting remote or hybrid educational activities, with 94% using the network at home and 75% at school. Public access centers were mentioned in smaller proportions (9%).

Communication with students
The use of printed materials was the main strategy adopted by teachers for communication and sending activities to students. Among public school teachers, teaching materials and activities available on government, city, or education department websites stood out, a resource used by 80% of state and 62% of municipal school teachers.

Synchronous class platforms, which require higher bandwidth, were more cited by state (82%) and private school teachers (91%) than by municipal school teachers (54%).

Besides sending and receiving activities, teachers also used strategies to address students' doubts. Once again, printed activities stood out, mentioned by 93% of teachers, as well as the use of instant messaging apps (91%) and phone calls (83%).

Challenges faced
As in 2020, when the survey was conducted with school managers, in this edition, a high proportion of teachers (94%) also pointed out the difficulties faced by parents or guardians in guiding and supporting students in school tasks as the main challenge to the continuation of educational activities during the pandemic. The lack of devices and Internet access in students' homes was mentioned by 86% of teachers.

“In the survey conducted in 2020 with school managers, a similar proportion of these educators highlighted the issue of the lack of devices and connectivity. Although public policies were implemented to support students and teachers, what we observe is that in the second year of the pandemic, similar challenges continued to be identified, now by the teachers,” evaluates Barbosa.

The increase in teachers' workloads (85%), the loss or difficulty of students' contact with the school or teachers (83%), and challenges in accommodating students with disabilities (76%) were also cited by a large portion of teachers.

The learning gap in students also figures among the challenges faced by teachers across all strata, including private schools. The vast majority (93%) pointed out the problem during data collection. Among measures to support students, most respondents mentioned a combination of face-to-face and remote remedial classes using digital technologies (58%), with a lower percentage among those teaching in municipal schools. Another frequently mentioned resource was grouping students by learning level (55%). In total, 19% of teachers did not highlight any activity.

"The ICT Education survey is of great importance for understanding the effective adoption of digital technologies in education systems. The availability of the survey reaffirms the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee's commitment to society and the production of robust and updated data on Internet advancement in Brazil," concludes José Gontijo, coordinator of CGI.br.

To check the full list of indicators, visit: https://cetic.br/pt/pesquisa/educacao/indicadores/. To revisit the online study launch, access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0d0cbf4bVI.

About the survey
Conducted since 2010 by Cetic.br, the survey aims to investigate access to information and communication technologies (ICT) in Brazilian public and private schools of Basic Education and their use and appropriation by students and educators.

In 2021 – a period when some education networks were planning school openings while others remained closed – the survey was conducted only with teachers. Data collection occurred via phone from October 2021 to April 2022. In 2021, teachers from rural areas were also included, and they were interviewed regardless of subject or education level.

About Cetic.br
The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), part of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on Internet access and usage in Brazil, providing periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the country. Cetic.br|NIC.br is also a Regional Center of Studies under the auspices of UNESCO and completed 17 years of work in 2022. More information at https://cetic.br/.

About the Brazilian Network Information Center – NIC.br
The Brazilian Network Information Center — NIC.br (https://nic.br/) is a private nonprofit civil entity responsible for operating the .br domain as well as distributing IP numbers and the registration of Autonomous Systems in the country. NIC.br implements the decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee - CGI.br since 2005, with all resources raised coming from its activities of an inherently private nature. It conducts actions and projects benefiting the Internet infrastructure in Brazil. NIC.br includes Registry.br (https://registro.br), CERT.br (https://cert.br/), Ceptro.br (https://ceptro.br/), Cetic.br (https://cetic.br/), IX.br (https://ix.br/) and Ceweb.br (https://ceweb.br), along with projects like Internetsegura.br (https://internetsegura.br) and the Best Practices for Internet in Brazil Portal (https://bcp.nic.br/). It also hosts the W3C Chapter São Paulo office (https://w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br
The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to the use and development of the Internet in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and the dissemination of offered services. Based on the principles of multi-stakeholderism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model, acclaimed internationally, where all sectors of society participate equitably in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Use (https://cgi.br/resolucoes/documento/2009/003). More information at https://cgi.br/.

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