Navigating ‘Home Schooling’ during COVID-19: Australian public response on Twitter

Abstract

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc worldwide. Schools have escaped neither the pandemic nor its consequences. Indeed, by April 2020, schools had been suspended in 189 countries, affecting 89% of learners globally. While the Australian government has implemented variously effective health and economic policies in response to COVID-19, their inability to agree with states on education policy during the pandemic caused considerable confusion and anxiety. Accordingly, this study analyses 3 weeks of Tweets during April, leading up to the beginning of term 2, during the height of Government policy incongruity. Findings confirm a wide and rapidly changing range of public responses on Twitter. Nine themes were identified in the quantitative analysis, and six of these (positive, negative, humorous, appreciation for teachers, comments aimed at Government/politicians and definitions) are expanded upon qualitatively. Over the course of 3 weeks, the public began to lose its sense of humour and negative tweets almost doubled.