Attitudes of primary literacy teachers towards distance education, the problems faced and their solutions

The aim of this research is to reveal the attitudes, problems and solution proposals of primary school teachers who teach reading and writing with the distance education model towards distance education. As a data collection tool in the quantitative dimension of the study, which was prepared with an explanatory design, one of the mixed research models, the Attitude Scale towards Distance Education consisting of 21 items; in the qualitative dimension, a semi-structured interview form has been used. In the 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 academic years, the scale was applied to 322 teachers who were the first to teach reading and writing with the distance education model, and 34 teachers were interviewed. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, t-test, anova and descriptive analysis have been used. When the data obtained in the scale were examined, it was determined that the attitudes of primary school teachers who teach reading and writing towards distance education were below the medium level. The variables of gender, professional seniority and educational status did not make a significant difference in teachers' attitudes towards distance education. According to the results of the analysis of the interviews, the most common problems faced by teachers in distance education have been; internet and connection problems, being caught unprepared for distance education and being inexperienced. Solution suggestions for improving distance education are expressed as providing fast and free internet, providing students with technological tools and developing distance education applications in accordance with the first literacy teaching. Keywords: Distance education, first reading and writing, attitude, classroom teacher.