Remote teaching (live and non-live) in upper-level compulsory school (grades 7–9) and upper secondary school during the covid-19 pandemic, spring term 2020–spring term 2021
Most students have received remote teaching during the covid-19 pandemic
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2022-04-04 8.00
For much of the 2020 spring term, most upper secondary school students received remote teaching. However, few students in upper-level compulsory school (grades 7–9) received it during the same period, although it became increasingly common the further into the pandemic. This is shown by new statistics from Statistics Sweden on remote teaching in Swedish schools during the covid-19 pandemic.
The volume of remote teaching has varied both over time and between schools. The transmission rates of covid-19, and the regulations and recommendations in place to reduce them, affected the extent to which schools completely or partially closed down and switched to remote teaching.
To simplify matters, we use the term “remote teaching”, which includes both live remote teaching (the teacher delivers lessons live over an online tool) and non-live remote teaching (teaching is not live but the teacher has regular contacts with students). For more information, please refer to Definitions and explanations.
Students in higher education preparatory programmes received most remote teaching
Most students in national upper secondary programmes, irrespective of grade year, received remote teaching to some extent for the period spring term 2020 to spring term 2021. The highest percentage is found among students in higher education preparatory programmes. The proportion was much lower among students in introductory programmes as schools were allowed to exempt them from remote teaching.
| Spring term 2020 | Autumn term 2020 | Spring term 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher education preparatory programmes | 94 –96 | 84 –92 | 81 –95 |
| Vocational programmes | 74 –92 | 70 –88 | 60 –88 |
| Introductory programmes | 59 –77 | 38 –53 | 33 –50 |
| Total | 84 –93 | 75 –87 | 69 –87 |
Read more in the section "Definitions and explanations" on why we present the statistics in the form of ranges.
Most remote teaching took place in the spring term of 2020. The upper secondary school students who received remote teaching on average (median and converted to full time) received remote teaching for
- 12 weeks in the spring term of 2020
- 3 weeks in the spring term of 2020
- 7 weeks in the spring term of 2021.
For students in vocational and introductory programmes, the period of remote teaching was shorter, while for students in higher education preparatory programmes it was longer. Students in year grades 1 and 3 of upper secondary school were to some extent prioritised for regular classroom teaching.
| Spring term 2020 | Autumn term 2020 | Spring term 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher education preparatory programmes | 12 | 3 | 8 |
| Vocational programmes | 11 | 3 | 6 |
| Introductory programmes | 11 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 12 | 3 | 7 |
Remote teaching in upper-level compulsory schools became more common further into the pandemic
In the spring term of 2020, only a small proportion (7 percent) of students in upper-level compulsory school (grades 7–9) received remote teaching, although the proportion increased to 33 percent in the autumn term. In the spring term of 2021, most students (around 80 percent) received remote teaching to some extent. The differences between the year grades in upper-level compulsory school were small.
Upper-level compulsory school students who received remote teaching had it on average (median and converted to full-time) for
- 3 weeks in the spring term of 2020
- 1 week in the autumn term of 2020
- 5 weeks in the spring term of 2021.
Classroom teaching was prioritised to some extent for ninth-grade students.
Although remote teaching was uncommon in upper-level compulsory school at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, students’ possibilities of accessing teaching were affected. Other studies have shown that many students were absent due to illness. In the spring term of 2020, around half of students attended schools where it was not possible at all to follow teaching remotely while off school.
More interesting findings
The report “Remote teaching in Sweden during the covid-19 pandemic. Upper-level compulsory school (grades 7–9) and upper secondary school” also includes the following interesting findings:
- How the schools have organised remote teaching.
- Exemptions from remote teaching for individual students.
- Live and non-live remote teaching.
- How the proportion of teacher-led time has been affected.
- Technical requirements and technology use.
- Remote teaching in the event of absence.
Definitions and explanations
The term “remote teaching”
In this survey, to simplify matters, we use the term “remote teaching” as an umbrella term for both live and non-live remote teaching. In live remote teaching, the students follow teaching live using an online meeting tool (the teacher and the students are apart in space but not in time). In non-live remote teaching, students are given materials that they work independently with (the teacher and students are apart in both space and time).
Conducting the survey
The survey was carried out in the autumn of 2021 on behalf of the Government. The headteachers of all upper-level compulsory schools (grades 7–9) and upper secondary schools in Sweden were invited to take part in a survey on the situation at their schools during three terms – the spring term of 2020 to the spring term of 2021.
The response rate was almost 50 percent among compulsory schools and almost 40 percent among upper secondary schools. The results have been adjusted upwards so that they correspond to all schools.
The headteachers answered questions for different groups of pupils at their school or, in some cases, for all students combined. Each student has been allotted the response provided by the headteacher for the group which included that student. This enables presenting statistics for the number of students who received remote teaching.
Proportion of students who received remote teaching
Statistics on the proportion of students who received remote teaching are presented in the form of a range in which the lower number consists of the proportion that definitely received remote teaching. This applies to the students who were included in student groups in which all classes received an equal amount of remote teaching. The upper number consists of the proportion that definitely, plus the proportion that maybe, received remote teaching. The component that maybe received remote teaching consists of students in student groups for which only some classes received remote teaching, or for which the degree varied between different classes.
Student groups
By “student groups” we mean for grades seven, eight and nine of compulsory school. For upper secondary school, we mean students in higher education preparatory programmes and in vocational programmes divided into the three year grades, and students in introductory programmes irrespective of year grade.
Publication
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.