Year: 2020 | Month: December | Volume 11 | Issue 2
Parental and Teachers’ Anxiety regarding Actual Learning through Online Teaching-Learning among School Children during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown
Preeti Chandel and Amiteshwar Ratra
DOI:10.30954/2231-458X.02.2020.3
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine parental and teachers’ anxiety regarding actual learning getting transacted through online teaching-learning mode among school children during COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic brought about an immediate closedown of schools. In effect, it was not closedown; rather, it was digitalization of education. Conventional school teaching was changed into online platform. School education was not stopped but it continued with the help of different technology in online or distance education forms. However, there have been apprehensions among parents and teachers alike regarding how much the school children are actually learning through this novel online teaching learning mode. To examine this aspect, the study was conducted with parents and teachers as participants. The sample was identified using the snowball method for selecting the respondents, and focussed interview method was used for data collection. Data was analysed using thematic grouping of responses. A total 53 respondents were selected of which 25 respondents were teachers and 28 respondents were parents from Himachal Pradesh, India. In-depth interview was held telephonically after developing rapport, and fixing up interview time. Both parents and teachers reported that sudden transfer of school education to home created problems for both teachers as well as parents. Teachers were expected to teach using online mode and learn technology for teaching-learning on the job. Parents of school children were expected to take up the role of a teacher at home, provide internet network, provide devices for online education from home and learn their usage. All the teachers and parents reported concern regarding the school children’s actual learning through the online teaching-learning process. It was reported that in this crucial time, where teachers had not been able to teach in actual classroom set-up, and parents were involved in teaching children as suggested by teachers in the online class, some of the parents reported that they felt incompetent to teach their child; especially the older children. A few parents also reported that teaching children and doing their own job in work from home mode resulted at times into a lot of stress for themselves. Both parents and teachers reported feeling anxiety and concern about students’ actual learning. This paper concludes with suggestions to improve actual learning among school children and methods to reduce parental and teachers’ anxiety.
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