Investigating the Challenges of Teaching Elementary School Social Studies in Cyberspace

The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges of e-learning in social studies in elementary school. For this purpose, qualitative study and phenomenological method of description have been used. Data were collected through semi-organized interviews and purposive sampling. The study became saturated after interviewing 30 teachers in Markazi province. In-depth analysis of the interviews led to the identification and categorization of 11 educational challenges, including: reduction of students 'group activities, lack of teachers' time to teach social studies, reduction of attention to ethical, social and legal issues, increase of negative emotions caused by quarantine. Decreased quality of assessment, lack of media literacy of teachers in teaching social studies, unattractive educational content for students, diminishing importance of social studies lessons, parental interventions, slow internet speed, heavy costs of buying internet packages. In addition to the main topics that addressed the challenges of teaching social studies in cyberspace and the answers to the main research question, some other topics emerged from the interviews that pointed to the opportunities for teaching social studies in cyberspace. Includes: increasing the speed of information transfer, students 'interest in participating in teaching social studies, increasing students' media literacy, achieving social goals outside the textbook.