Distance Education in Social Work During the Coronavirus Crisis in the Czech Republic

Daniela Kvetenska, Sabina Zdrahalova

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the article is to compare the perception of distance forms of teaching by teachers and students of social work at universities in the Czech Republic during the period of emergency measures taken by the Czech Government against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. THEORETICAL BASE: The Coronavirus pandemic period impacted several human occupational activities, and one of them was higher education in social work. Teachers and their students faced new challenges and they had to orientate themselves quickly with and start to use online teaching tools, although social work education is specific in that it is based on personal interaction. The work follows the studies of Reamer (2019), Kurzman (2019) and others. METHODS: A quantitative research strategy was used in the analysis of the questionnaire survey prepared for the project. OUTCOMES: Teachers perceived distance education as more difficult to prepare as did students who perceived the same complexity of preparation for distance education. Students and teachers evaluated distance education as more demanding in comparison with the face-to-face form of teaching. According to teachers and students, the study of social work can be taught partly in the online space. Exclusively online education is considered less suitable for the preparation of social work occupations. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: The application goal is to support the public debate on the issue of the suitability of using distance forms of education for the future of social work education.

Keywords
education, distance learning, full-time teaching, social work

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