Emergency Responses to the COVID-19 Crisis in Education: A Shift from Chaos to Complexity

This paper presents a pilot research of approaches taken by European Union (EU) Member States (MSs) in the emergency response to COVID-19 crisis pre-tertiary education. It includes multi-case study four MSs, examining their education systems’ digital readiness and “fitness for change”, as well decision-making practices. We use Cynefin framework decision contexts explore different paths shifting from chaos complexity. The preliminary findings this indicate that factor positively influencing was not exclusively readiness, but also “fitness” terms ongoing reforms preparedness change. suggest MSs generally continued with usual practices, tendencies towards centralisation crucial decisions, which is line framework, arguing stronger leadership chaotic contexts.