Building Interpersonal Relationships in Grades 1–3 in Distance Learning Conditions

Interpersonal relations are an integral part of living in society. Interpersonal competences combine activities related to communication, making new friends, solving problems or cooperating with others. Therefore, they are extremely important at every educational stage. However, building proper relations among education participants becomes more difficult when schools around the world switch to distance learning due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Relations between teachers and students, as well as among classmates, often undergoes various modifications, frequently deteriorating the quality of mutual contact. Distance education has also changed the role of pupils’ parents. The new situation often required from them to adapt to their child’s schedule in order to support them and help them in learning. This particularly applies to the families with younger children. In order to explain these issues, this article will present the results of research conducted among teachers and parents of pupils from grades 1–3 on the relationship at a pupil–pupil and a student–teacher level. The didactic and educational activities of teachers that are undertaken by them in order to improve contact on both these levels in the face of the new reality will also be discussed. The article will also address the topic of transformations of the abovementioned relations, which took place during and after the transition to compulsory distance learning.

Interpersonal relations are an integral part of living in society. Interpersonal competences combine activities related to communication, making new friends, solving problems or cooperating with others. Therefore, they are extremely important at every educational stage. However, building proper relations among education participants becomes more difficult when schools around the world switch to distance learning due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Relations between teachers and students, as well as among classmates, often undergoes various modifications, frequently deteriorating the quality of mutual contact. Distance education has also changed the role of pupils’ parents. The new situation often required from them to adapt to their child’s schedule in order to support them and help them in learning. This particularly applies to the families with younger children. In order to explain these issues, this article will present the results of research conducted among teachers and parents of pupils from grades 1–3 on the relationship at a pupil–pupil and a student–teacher level. The didactic and educational activities of teachers that are undertaken by them in order to improve contact on both these levels in the face of the new reality will also be discussed. The article will also address the topic of transformations of the abovementioned relations, which took place during and after the transition to compulsory distance learning.