Examining educational continuity in distance learning guidance documents: A content analysis of the Ministry of Education response to COVID-19 in Belize

Abstract

This article examines educational continuity in distance learning guidance documents developed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology in Belize during school closure for the 2019–2020 school year. Documents that were purposefully developed as part of the ministry's response to school closure because of the pandemic were collected and analyzed. The four themes that emerged from the analysis—access to technology, home-based learning and resources, continuing professional development, and adjustments to instructional planning and academic policies—describe how the ministry's guidance documents on distance learning supported educational continuity in Belize during school closure for the 2019–2020 school year. The analysis also reveals that the ministry’s reachability effort relied heavily on low or no-tech modalities to ensure educational continuity in response to the pandemic.