The effects of the Corona pandemic on society and the role of national and civic education books in addressing it

Abstract

The current study aimed at exploring the effects of Covid-19 pandemic and describing the role of the national and civic educational textbook in encountering this pandemic. The researchers adopted a qualitative research method by interviewing (9) educational specialists in the methods of teaching social studies curriculums and sociology. The results demonstrated that the effects of Covid-19 pandemic experienced by society are economic, represented by poverty, unemployment, bankruptcy and closure of firms and shops. Health effects like depression, anxiety, stress and mental illnesses ranked second. Educational effects ranked third and they were represented by weaker performance by students, increase of individual differences between students, and inability of teachers to evaluate them properly. Social effects came last, where results showed that the pandemic had positive effects represented by solidarity initiatives to help others and acquaintance of family members and negative effects represented by social distancing and breakdown of the social fabric. The results of the interviews pertaining the role of the national and civic educational textbook in encountering this pandemic showed the importance of developing social values and trends like social solidarity, collaboration, media literacy, development of students thinking. The study recommends the importance of activating the textbook of social studies to enable individuals face future challenges. Such activation could be achieved by designing an appendix to the national and civic textbooks of the high grades of the basic stages including activities to develop students’ social and leadership skills.

Key words: the resulting effects, the Corona pandemic, the role of the national and civic educational textbook in encountering this pandemic.