ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the emergence of distance learning, with students across Israel having to learn from home starting in March 2020. In response, the Ministry of Education established the National Broadcasting System to help teachers with their online classes. Hundreds of lessons entailing media were recorded in a range of subjects, to be viewed by children of all ages via digital devices. Although television plays a role in socialization and education, the question is: can television at home substitute teachers in the classroom? This study examines the project for delivering prerecorded lessons in Hebrew and Arabic, which strove to provide an innovative means for enabling meaningful and enjoyable distance learning. The study found that teachers’ attitudes toward these recordings ranged from satisfaction, through indifference, to concern about their role as teachers and their use of digital media and technology. The study also found that the project provides a voice for the Arab minority.