Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected teaching and learning around the world. As a result, schools and higher learning institutions use the e-learning platform to replace face-to-face teaching and learning. E-learning presents new challenges when compared to a traditional classroom because students are separated from their instructor by a computer screen. It has been established that the psychological and pedagogical barrier is an obstacle arising for a teacher in the process of his professional activity, which reduces its effectiveness. The main psychological and pedagogical barriers are highlighted, which are combined into groups: due to the personal and professional qualities of the teacher; caused by the physical and psychological characteristics of the student himself; determined by the specifics of the subject of interaction; caused by unfavorable factors of the social and material environment in which educational interaction takes place. An in-depth analysis of typical barriers that potentially arise between a teacher and students makes it possible to determine ways to overcome them. A psychological portrait of a personality that potentially creates barriers in interpersonal interaction is outlined. The paper proposes the ways of overcoming psychological and educational barriers between teachers and students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key words: COVID-19, pandemic, teacher, student, psychological and pedagogical barrier, overcoming, e-learning.