Contexts of Extraordinary Parental Involvement in Children’s Education During the First Wave of COVID-19: A Case Study of a Public Elementary School in Poland
Abstract
Objectives of the research: The purpose of the study was to learn about parents’ experiences of participating in their children’s remote education during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The question posed in this article is about the circumstances under which parents took over tasks previously perceived as a teacher’s job.
Research methods: The participatory, qualitative case study utilized data from the open-ended questions of an electronic survey to which 104 parents (from a public elementary school in a metropolitan area) responded, as well as data from the school’s electronic register. The qualitative analysis employed strategies of constructivist grounded theory.
Brief description of the context of the problem: While national and international studies have shown that parents played a critical role in the challenging and stressful home-based education of their children during the COVID-19 pandemic, no research has explained how parents became this vital link of education. The aim of this article is to fill this gap.
Research findings: The study revealed two interrelated contextual factors that led to parents’ activation in their children’s “schooling from home”: 1) technical/administrative, related to having inadequate tools for distance education and 2) pedagogical/didactic, related to the prevailing concepts of teaching and learning being anchored in the behavioral-transmission paradigm.
Conclusions and/or recommendations: The results apply primarily to the school under study and represent an intrinsic case study. However, it is reasonable to assume that the events, phenomena, and processes identified in the study may serve to explain phenomena in other schools that have organized distance education similarly. The cautious recommendation, aiming to safeguard family resources (thereby protecting equal opportunities for all children to learn) in times of crisis, is to transform the pedagogical underpinnings that shape today’s educational practices from behaviorist to constructivist. However, this requires further research.
References
Anderson, T., Rourke, L., Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (2001). Assessing teaching presence in a computer conferencing context. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Network, 5(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v5i2.1875
Berger, P., & Luckmann, T. (1983). Społeczne tworzenie rzeczywistości. Biblioteka Myśli Współczesnej.
Bhamani, S., Makhdoom, A. Z., Bharuchi, V., Ali, N., Kaleem, S., & Ahmed, D. (2020). Home learning in times of COVID: Experiences of parents. Journal of Education and Education Development, 7(1), 9–26. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.22555/joeed.v7i1.3260
Brom, C., Lukavský, J., Greger, D., Hannemann, T., Straková, J., & Švaříček, R. (2020). Mandatory home education during the COVID-19 lockdown in the Czech Republic: A rapid survey of 1st–9th graders’ parents. Frontiers in Education, 5(July), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00103
Bubb, S., & Jones, M.-A. (2020). Learning from the COVID-19 home-schooling experience: Listening to pupils, parents/carers and teachers. Improving Schools, 23(3), 209–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480220958797
Charmaz, K. (2013). Invitation to Grounded Theory. In Insert Textbox - IntroductoryStatement to Chapter 1 (Vol. 53, Issue 9, pp. 1689–1699). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
Chen, Z., Jiao, J., & Hu, K. (2021). Formative assessment as an online instruction intervention. International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 19(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.20210101.oa1
Czapliński, P., Dynowska-Chmielewska, K., Federowicz, M., Giza-Poleszczuk, A., Gorzeńska, O., Karwińska, A., Traba, R., Wiśniewski, J., & Zwierżdżyński, M. (2020). Raport Edukacja. Między pandemią COVID-19 a edukacją przyszłości [Education report: Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the education of the future]. Krakow.
Di Pietro, G., Biagi, F., Costa, P., Karpiński, Z., & Mazza, J. (2020). The likely impact of COVID-19 on education: Reflections based on the existing literature and recent international datasets. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/126686
Dong, C., Cao, S., & Li, H. (2020). Young children’s online learning during COVID-19 pandemic: Chinese parents’ beliefs and attitudes. Children and Youth Services Review, 118(June), 105440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105440
Garbe, A., Ogurlu, U., Logan, N., & Cook, P. (2020). Parents’ experiences with remote education during COVID-19 school closures. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 4(3), 45–65. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/8471
Garrison, R. (2000). Theoretical challenges for distance dducation in the 21st century: A shift from structural to transactional issues. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 1(1), 1–17.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6
Girard, C., & Prado, J. (2022). Prior home learning environment is associated with adaptation to homeschooling during COVID lockdown. Heliyon, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09294
Haller, T., & Novita, S. (2021). Parents’ perceptions of school support during COVID-19: What satisfies parents? Frontiers in Education, 6(September), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.700441
Hamaidi, D. A., Arouri, Y. M., Noufal, R. K., & Aldrou, I. (2021). Parents’ perceptions of their children’s experiences with distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22(2), 224–241.
Ho, E. S., Chiu, S. W., Charis, K. S., & Lee, T. S. (2021). The mediating role of different types of parental support in the social disparity of hope in young adulthood. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50, 1437–1449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01409-z
Huber, S. G., & Helm, C. (2020). Lernen in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie Die Rolle familiärer Merkmale für das Lernen von Schüler*innen: Befunde vom Schul-Barometer in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. DDS, 16, 37–60. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31244/9783830992318.02
Krents, M., Kos, E., Green, A., & Garcia-Alonso, J. (2020). Easing the COVID-19 burden on working parents. BCG. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/helping-working-parents-ease-the-burden-of-covid-19
Lase, D., Zega, T. G. C., & Daeli, D. O. (2021). Parents’ perceptions of distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in rural Indonesia. SSRN Electronic Journal, 13(2), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3890610
Lau, E. Y. H., Li, J.-B., & Lee, K. (2021). Online learning and parent satisfaction during COVID-19: Child competence in independent learning as a moderator. Early Education and Development, 32(6), 830–842. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1950451
Martin, F., Polly, D., & Ritzhaupt, A. (2020). Bichronous online learning: Blending asynchronous and synchronous online learning. EDUCAUSE Review, (September), 1–11. Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/9/bichronous-online-learning-blending-asynchronous-and-synchronous-online-learning
Means, B., Murphy, R., & Baki, M. (2013). The effectiveness of online and blended learning: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Teachers College Record, 115(3), 1–47.
Miller, T., MacLaren, K., & Xu, H. (2020). Online learning: Practices, perceptions, and technology apprentissage. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 46(1), 1–27.
Minister of National Education. (2020). Raport Ministra Edukacji Narodowej. Zapewnienie funkcjonowania jednostek systemu oświaty w okresie epidemii COVID-19 [Report of the Minister of National Education: Ensuring the functioning of the education system during the COVID-19 epidemic]. Warsaw: MEN.
Misirli, O., & Ergulec, F. (2021). Emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: Parents' experiences and perspectives. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 6699–6718. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10520-4
Moore, M. G. (2018). The theory of transactional distance. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of Distance Education (4th ed., pp. 32–46). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315296135-4
Mußél, F., & Kondratjuk, M. (2020). Methodological perspectives on researching home schooling due to the Corona pandemic: An invitation to think further. International Dialogues on Education, 7(Special Issue), 28–40. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.53308/ide.v7i1/2.22
Parczewska, T. (2021). Difficult situations and ways of coping with them in the experiences of parents homeschooling their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Education 3-13. International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2020.1812689
Picciano, A. G. (2017). Theories and frameworks for online education: Seeking an integrated model. Online Learning, 21(3), 166–190. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1225
Plebańska, M., Szyller, A., & Sieńczewska, M. (2020). Raport - edukacja zdalna w czasach Covid-19 [Report: Distance education in the times of COVID-19.] Wydział Pedagogiczny Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. https://kometa.edu.pl/uploads/publication/941/24a2_A_a_nauczanie_zdalne_oczami_nauczycieli_i_uczniow_RAPORT.pdf?v2.8
Ptaszek, G., Stunża, G. D., Pyżalski, J., Dębski, M., & Bigaj, M. (2020). Edukacja zdalna: co się stało z uczniami ich rodzicami i nauczycielami? [Distance education: What happened to students, their parents, and teachers?]. Gdańsk: Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne Sp. z o.o. Retrieved from https://zdalnenauczanie.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/edukacja-zdalna.pdf
Rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji Narodowej z dnia 20 marca 2020 r. w sprawie szczególnych rozwiązań w okresie czasowego ograniczenia funkcjonowania jednostek systemu oświaty w związku z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19 (Dz.U. of 2020, item 493) [Regulation of the Minister of National Education of March 20, 2020 on special solutions during the period of temporary limitation of the functioning of education system units in connection with the prevention, counteracting and combating of COVID-19]
Stake, R. E. (2003). Case studies. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Strategies of qualitative inquiry (pp. 134–164). Sage Publications, Inc.
Thorell, L. B., Skoglund, C., de la Peña, A. G., Baeyens, D., Fuermaier, A. B. M., Groom, M. J., Mammarella, I. C., van der Oord, S., van den Hoofdakker, B. J., Luman, M., de Miranda, D. M., Siu, A. F. Y., Steinmayr, R., Idrees, I., Soares, L. S., Sörlin, M., Luque, J. L., Moscardino, U. M., Roch, M., Crisci, G., & Christiansen, H. (2022). Parental experiences of homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic: Differences between seven European countries and between children with and without mental health conditions. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(4), 649–661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01706-1
Trzcińska-Król, M. (2020). Students with special educational needs in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic – parents’ opinions. Interdyscyplinarne Konteksty Pedagogiki Specjalnej, 29, 173–191. https://doi.org/10.14746/ikps.2020.29.08
United Nations. (2020, August). Policy brief: Education during COVID-19 and beyond. https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf
Ustawa z dnia 2 marca 2020 r. o szczególnych rozwiązaniach związanych z zapobieganiem, przeciwdziałaniem i zwalczaniem COVID-19, innych chorób zakaźnych oraz wywołanych nimi sytuacji kryzysowych (Dz.U. 2020 poz. 374) [Act of March 2, 2020 on special solutions related to the prevention, counteracting and combating of COVID-19, other infectious diseases and crisis situations caused by them]
Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. Edmonton, Alberta: AU PRESS. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203838761
Wiatr, M. (2022). Przegląd badań nad zdalną edukacją prowadzoną w polskiej szkole podczas pierwszej fali pandemii covid-19 – o prymacie techniki i technologii nad refleksją pedagogiczną [Review of research on remote education conducted in Polish schools during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: The primacy of technique and technology over pedagogical reflection]. Colloquium, 45(1), 135–165. https://doi.org/http://doi.org/10.34813/09coll2022
Copyright (c) 2023 Marta Wiatr
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
- The Author/Authors agree(s) to publish the article free of charge in Multidisciplinary Journal of School Education in English or Spanish. The Editorial Board reserves the right to shorten the texts and change the titles.
- As part of free publication mentioned in § 1, the Author/Authors agrees to make the full electronic version of their article available in the Internet.
- The Author/Authors agrees to index their article in databases at home and abroad, including abstracts and keywords as well as Author's/Authors’ affiliation in English and in other languages. The Author/Authors agrees to pass on the information mentioned above to the owners of these databases.
- The Author/Authors declares that their publication is original and does not include borrowings from other works which might cause Publisher's responsibility, does not infringe the rights of the third party and that their copyright on this publication is not limited. The Author/Authors will incur all the costs and will pay compensations which might result from the mendacity of the following statement.
- The Author/Authors declares to bear complete responsibility for the scientific reliability of the article submitted. The detailed contribution of all co-authors is defined.
- The Author/Authors declares to publish the text in the Multidisciplinary Journal of School Education under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-ND 4.0).
- For more than one author, please complete the Authorship Contributions and send it to the editorial office. Please indicate the specific contributions made by each author (list the authors’ initials, e.g., JKH). Please download, complete, scan and attach the file in the system during the submission process.
Authors Statement - Authorship Contributions
