Online studies and motherhood: possibility or limitation of development opportunities? Analysis of biographies of female students

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show how young women studying remotely during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic combine the roles of mother, student and often also a professional worker. In the study I used the research scheme proposed by K. Konarzewski, distinguishing the method of selecting a research sample (targeted selection), data collection (individual qualitative interview) and data analysis (here: content analysis). I used the biographical approach in the interpretation of D. Jemielniak (2012) using a thematic biography the narrative of which oscillated around the experience of combining the social roles of mother and student. Fourteen full-time and part-time students of first, second and third cycle studies participated in the research. The difference between them was the number of children and their age. The qualitative nature of the conducted research does not allow for generalization of the conclusions. In the case of my interlocutors, it turned out that in a pandemic situation online education relieved the family budget, while often overburdening women. Nevertheless, it was often perceived as beneficial by mothers of infants and young children, who perceived the time spent at university as taken from their children. Mothers of children in preschool and school age (especially raising a few children) preferred stationary education at the university, because the need to simultaneously exercise the care and educational function and participate in classes distracted them. They needed time away from their family, treating it as time for themselves, to pursue their own professional aspirations and social interactions. An important conclusion from the research is the postulate for the creation of online studies at universities, facilitating the improvement of professional qualifications and the implementation of educational aspirations of young women, pregnant or raising young children, as well as the creation of a support system for young parents choosing full-time studies (e.g., in the form of care and educational points at universities).