Studying Education in the Context of Global Social Transformations and “Shock Innovations” Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

An introductory article to a special issue on education research in the context of social transformation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic provides an overview of the studies presented in this issue. Emphasis is placed on the importance of using the situation of a large-scale "natural experiment" to identify social and psychological effects occurring under the influence of drastic changes and transformations in society in general and the education system in particular. The operational fixation of various aspects of the changing reality in the context of the pandemic has great scientific and practical value. The unexpectedness of the global crisis caused by COVID-19 did not allow the preparation of a full-fledged research program, but a mosaic image collected from diverse studies (concerning individual reactions, experiences, subjective well-being, adaptation strategies, transformations in the content and form of activity, acceptance / non-acceptance of “shock innovations”, social transitivity of social institutions, etc.) shapes a multifaceted analysis that reveals the nature of social transformations, including in the context of education as a significant social sphere. Summary of the materials of the issue reveals the heterogeneity of reactions to the general situation of the pandemic from different social groups, at certain stages of socialization, in various social contexts and institutions.