Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

College

College of Education and International Services

Program

Special Education, MA

First Advisor

Luana Greulich

Second Advisor

Larry Burton

Abstract

Parents were affected in numerous ways by the sudden shut down of schools and switch to virtual learning in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these ways included use of technology, income, race, time, mental health, family life and parent insecurities. This study investigates parents' perspectives of some ways they were affected in regards to the virtual learning of their child(ren). All parents with children enrolled at Madison Campus Elementary School were invited to participate in the study, as they had at least one year's experience with their child(ren) in virtual learning.

Data was collected using a survey emailed via ClassClimate®, a survey tool used at Andrews University. Fifty-five parents returned the survey. Findings showed that parents with more than one child were more likely to report having difficulty with distraction 80-100% of the time. Furthermore, race greatly affected the level of stress parents felt when it came to the technology needed for virtual learning. Hispanic parents had the greatest percentage (87.5%) who were stressed by technology. Parents, in general, reported problems with too much screen time for their children, children's lack of social interaction, and personally holding down a job while their children participated in virtual learning.

Subject Area

Web-based instruction; Distance education; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020--Influence; Parents--Effect of web-based instruction; Madison Campus Elementary School

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/theses/190/

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