TOWARDS A NEW NORMAL: THE EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL EDUCATION STRATEGY IN ENGLISH SECONDARY SCHOOLS AMIDST COVID-19

Abstract

This article examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on strategic planning for digital education in English secondary schools. It draws on the strategy as learning literature to explore whether schools have changed their strategic digital planning as a result of the pandemic and evaluates the impact of the pandemic on digital education in high socio-economic deprived areas. The study adopts a strategy as learning approach to examine qualitative data from 50 interviews with school leaders and chief executive officers (CEOs). The article provides insights into the challenges and opportunities that emerged during the pandemic and suggests that digital strategy-making is a vital aspect of strategic leadership in secondary schools. The study identifies eight key communalities of schools that have succeeded in sustainable digital integration, including embedding digital learning into core curricula, establishing cooperation with external partners to raise funding, and improving digital and pedagogical knowledge of staff. In addition, the article proposes twelve key areas of focus that emerged within the empirical work, which aim to provide a more comprehensive picture of what factors are holding schools back from the development of digital learning during and post-pandemic. This study contributes to the literature on digital education and provides insights to policymakers, educators and other stakeholders.