Page 123 - Drobnič Janez, Pelc Stanko, Kukanja Gabrijelčič Mojca, Česnik Katarina, Cotič Nastja, Volmut Tadeja. Ur. 2023. Vzgoja in izobraževanje v času covida-19. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem
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Vulnerable Groups of Children from the Perspective of Additional Professional Assistance . . .
were more affected by the COVID-19 situation than other children,’ most
classroom and subject teachers, (X = 4.30) as well as providers of additional
professional assistance (X = 4.06), completely agree. The assumption of ho-
mogeneity of variances is justified (F = 0.000, P = 0.995), thus we used the
t-test (t = 1.360, g = 99, 2P = 0.177), which revealed that among the teachers
and providers of additional professional assistance, there were no statistically
significant differences in agreement with that statement.
Regarding the statement ‘The motivation of these children [vulnerable
groups of children] for schoolwork was higher at school (»live«) than in dis-
tance learning,’ most classroom and subject teachers (X = 4.04) agreed more
than the providers of additional professional assistance (X = 3.63). The as-
sumption of homogeneity of variances is justified (F = 1.150, P = 0.286), thus
we used the t-test (t = 2.095, g = 99, 2P = 0.039), which revealed that among
teachers and providers of additional professional assistance there exist sta-
tistically significant differences in agreement with that statement.
During distance learning, equal opportunities for all children were not pro-
vided, which had an additional negative impact on vulnerable groups of chil-
dren. The connection between the statements ‘Not all children were pro-
vided with equal opportunities for distance learning’ and ‘These children
[vulnerable groups of children] were more affected by the COVID-19 situa-
tion than other children’ were checked with the Spearman’s rank correlation
coefficient (r), which shows that the correlation is positive and statistically
significant (r = 0.284; P = 0.004).
Vulnerable groups of children need an individual approach, which is also
defined by one of the principles of primary school, which are stated in the
White Paper (Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport 2011). Due to their diversity and
variety, these groups of children are more susceptible to change, including
the changes and innovations in the process of education, which was trans-
ferred from the physical environment to the virtual world due to the mea-
sures to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the results of statisti-
cal analyses performed for the statements, our hypothesis that ‘Vulnerable
groups of children (children with special needs, gifted children, immigrant
children, minority children, children whose mother tongue is not Slovene,
children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and other children who
need more encouragement and help, etc.) were more susceptible to the ef-
fects of the COVID-19 epidemic than their peers during distance learning,’ can
be confirmed.
Providers of additional professional assistance also faced many challenges,
problems, and constant changes during distance learning, which required
123
were more affected by the COVID-19 situation than other children,’ most
classroom and subject teachers, (X = 4.30) as well as providers of additional
professional assistance (X = 4.06), completely agree. The assumption of ho-
mogeneity of variances is justified (F = 0.000, P = 0.995), thus we used the
t-test (t = 1.360, g = 99, 2P = 0.177), which revealed that among the teachers
and providers of additional professional assistance, there were no statistically
significant differences in agreement with that statement.
Regarding the statement ‘The motivation of these children [vulnerable
groups of children] for schoolwork was higher at school (»live«) than in dis-
tance learning,’ most classroom and subject teachers (X = 4.04) agreed more
than the providers of additional professional assistance (X = 3.63). The as-
sumption of homogeneity of variances is justified (F = 1.150, P = 0.286), thus
we used the t-test (t = 2.095, g = 99, 2P = 0.039), which revealed that among
teachers and providers of additional professional assistance there exist sta-
tistically significant differences in agreement with that statement.
During distance learning, equal opportunities for all children were not pro-
vided, which had an additional negative impact on vulnerable groups of chil-
dren. The connection between the statements ‘Not all children were pro-
vided with equal opportunities for distance learning’ and ‘These children
[vulnerable groups of children] were more affected by the COVID-19 situa-
tion than other children’ were checked with the Spearman’s rank correlation
coefficient (r), which shows that the correlation is positive and statistically
significant (r = 0.284; P = 0.004).
Vulnerable groups of children need an individual approach, which is also
defined by one of the principles of primary school, which are stated in the
White Paper (Ministrstvo za šolstvo in šport 2011). Due to their diversity and
variety, these groups of children are more susceptible to change, including
the changes and innovations in the process of education, which was trans-
ferred from the physical environment to the virtual world due to the mea-
sures to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the results of statisti-
cal analyses performed for the statements, our hypothesis that ‘Vulnerable
groups of children (children with special needs, gifted children, immigrant
children, minority children, children whose mother tongue is not Slovene,
children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and other children who
need more encouragement and help, etc.) were more susceptible to the ef-
fects of the COVID-19 epidemic than their peers during distance learning,’ can
be confirmed.
Providers of additional professional assistance also faced many challenges,
problems, and constant changes during distance learning, which required
123
