Analysis of Lived Educational Experiences During the Pandemic and Post-Pandemic: A Multiple Case Study of Primary School English Teachers in Costa Rica

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 introduced unprecedented challenges to education systems worldwide. In Costa Rica, the schools adopted two previously unimplemented instructional modalities: distance education in 2020 largely characterized as emergency remote teaching and blended education in 2021. By 2022, schools resumed face-to-face instruction. This study draws upon three individual case studies conducted between 2020 and 2024, which aimed to explore the lived experiences and professional contexts of primary English teachers in rural schools across three regional education directorates in the North of Costa Rica: San Carlos, Norte-Norte, and Sarapiquí. These descriptive studies emphasized teaching and learning processes within the context of the pandemic. Utilizing a multiple-case analytical design for both single-case and cross-case analysis, the current research integrates the findings of the three studies to examine the perceptions of fifteen English teachers from the Huetar Norte Region, offering insights into their pedagogical adaptations and professional challenges during this critical period. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews, lesson plans, video recordings, and body maps. The study is currently taking place and was divided into two phases: analysis of each single case study individually; the second phase will focus on the analysis of the three cases for a better understanding of the academic phenomenon. Preliminary results of the first phase highlight the three most important findings regarding main themes per each case. For distance education, the themes include changes in the educational context, normalized processes along the academic year, and the feelings expressed by the participants. In the case of combined education, the main themes consist of educational aspects, feelings, and the professional context as conveyed by the participants. Finally, for in person education, the core conclusions encompass the teaching context, the pedagogical aspects, and most importantly, the challenges faced by the participants regarding returning to face-to-face teaching.