Engagement with Knowledge and Epistemic Cognition in Children During the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Using the AIR Model
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Resumo
This study examines children’s engagement with knowledge during the COVID-19 lockdown through the lens of epistemic cognition and the AIR model. Using a qualitative design grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of five students, five teachers, and five mothers. Findings indicate a predominance of maladaptive epistemic strategies, including prioritization of non-epistemic goals such as grades, convenience, and task completion over conceptual understanding, alongside reliance on unreliable processes like copying during online assessments and passive class participation. Although limited, instances of adaptive epistemic engagement emerged when teachers demonstrated sustained pedagogical commitment and emotional support, and when students engaged in skill-based or exploratory learning activities. However, digital distractions, reduced interaction, and negative emotional states such as boredom and fatigue significantly hindered epistemic engagement and learning outcomes. Participants consistently perceived online learning as less effective than traditional classroom instruction. The study concludes that pandemic-induced educational disruptions were not only technological but fundamentally epistemic, underscoring the need for targeted online pedagogies and support systems that foster adaptive epistemic cognition, ethical learning practices, and sustained student engagement.
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