A Phenomenological Study of Face to Face Teaching and Learning in the Context of Social Distancing Principle in Bulawayo Central District Private Primary Schools during COVID 19 Pandemic

This qualitative study employed hermeneutical phenomenological method with snowball sampling technique, guided by the theoretical framework of Levy Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, to explore the teachers’ lived experiences on the face to face teaching and learning in the context of social distancing principle in private primary schools during Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic. In-depth interviews and open-ended questionnaires in conjunction with participant observations were used to generate data from 16 participants. Thematic data analysis was used to present participants’ (primary school teachers and Heads) lived experiences on the phenomenon under the study. The study revealed that primary schools sternly paid attention to physical guides like tape marking on floors or signs on walls, directing young learners to remain at least 2 metres apart from each other during the lesson. It also disclosed that primary school learners fiercely concentrated on maintaining space or distance apart at all times during lessons to avoid the spread of corona virus on the expense of effective teaching and learning. The findings reveals that face to face teaching and learning in the context of social distancing principle during COVID 19 pandemic was not significantly effective due to some difficulties in implementing learner-centred teaching techniques; social distancing settings when teaching young children with varied learning disabilities such as fidgeting, attention deficit and autism spectrum disorders; and challenges in maintaining a safe distance between desks due to large number of learners per class and scarcity of classrooms. The results also revealed that social distancing principle affected primary school learners’ morale and relationship; and increased fear and stigma among young children during the lesson due to false information and dangerous myths about corona virus.The study recommended that there is need for educational psychologists to use resilience dynamics during their young children’s lessons that can serve as a crucial context where learners can make sense of their real life through narrative thoughts, recognizing and sharing their emotions hence minimizing the risk of long-lasting trauma hence promoting effective learning in the context of social distancing principle during COVID 19 pandemic. There is need for primary school teachers to assist learners to adapt to social distancing principle during the lesson. There is need for primary school teachers to provide opportunities for learners to reconnect socially within the social distancing principle of COVID 19 pandemic learning based environment through speaking up, reading aloud, and use of gestures since the mouth is covered by the face mask.