Shuvra Rahman & Lee Yee Ling
Science education in the primary years is significant as it offers an aspiration for innovation and creativity. In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the whole world, educational institutes from preschool to tertiary level had to migrate to virtual teaching and learning. Most of the educators and learners were not prepared for this unprecedented shift. This research aims to determine the challenges primary school students faced in the virtual science learning context and the strategies taken by science teachers to ensure the virtual lessons can be conducted effectively. This qualitative research involved three teachers and seven primary students. Data were collected through classroom observation and interviews. The findings show that the students faced some challenges in terms of learning environment, learning resources, technical problems, and concentration. The teachers used various virtual teaching resources and got parental help to support the students’ learning. This study concludes by providing suggestions for teachers to better support virtual science learning in primary school years.
Keywords: Virtual learning, science, primary years, challenges, strategies