Distance Education Experiences of Teacher-Parents during the COVID-19

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the opinions of teacher parents about distance education process during COVID-19. The study was designed as a case study which is one of the methods in qualitative research. The sample of the study composed of 83 teacher parents from different branches in Turkey. Maximum variation and criterion sampling methods were used to select the participants. The data of the study were gathered though open ended questions developed by the researchers and were analyzed through descriptive and content analyses. According to the participants, distance education is perceived and accepted as a means of support rather than an alternative to face-to-face education. Participants mentioned the distance education carried out during the pandemic process as a beneficial practice in order to prevent students from breaking off from education but also they stated administrative issues, lack of computer science knowledge and internet-related problems. The inability to disseminate distance education to all students, especially disadvantaged students due to the lack of infrastructure, indifferent parents and the fact that distance education is insufficient in the education of young children/special education students show that distance education has not yet met the expectations to provide equal opportunities for everyone involved. Keywords: COVID-19, distance education, pandemic, teacher, parent