Students' and parents' perspectives on emergency e-learning in kindergarten and compulsory education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62695/PPYP6369

Keywords:

E-Learning, compulsory education, emergency online learning,, covid-19 pandemic,, user perception

Abstract

This paper explores how students and parents of students attending kindergarten and compulsory education experienced emergency remote education delivered during the period when schools were closed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Understanding this unprecedented context has the potential to shape post-pandemic education and future e-learning efforts. Data was collected through an online questionnaire featuring closed- and open-ended questions. The paper explores the students’ and parents’ or guardians’ experiences and opinions on the teaching and learning provided. Additionally, it analyses the influence of school sector, school level, and previous access to educational support on this experience. The findings suggest that e-learning allowed students to continue their education but highlighted certain existing educational inequalities and created new ones.

Author Biographies

Jeannine Vassallo, Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability at MEYR

Jeannine Vassallo is currently employed as Senior Manager within the Education Ministry's Research Unit. Jeannine has worked in the delivery, regulation, research and policymaking of welfare and education services and at the House of Representatives. Jeannine holds a B.A. (Hons.) Anthropology (Melit.), M.Sc. Social Research (Edin.), M.Sc. Integrative Health and Social Care (Derby) and CMI Level 7 Extended Diploma.

Gary Lee Doublet Meagher, Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability at MEYR

Gary Lee Doublet Meagher B.Sc. (Communication Therapy), M.A. Interpreting Studies, has worked within education policy and research for the past 4 years and is currently employed as Manager II (Research) within the Ministry for Education's Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability. His expertise lies in child development, developmental psychology, speech-language acquisition and use, as well as education policy.

Nadine Zammit, Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability at MEYR

Nadine Zammit B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics and Physics, PGCE Mathematics, works as a statistician at the Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability within the Ministry for Education. With eight years’ experience in the education sector, her field of expertise includes pedagogy and teaching STEM subjects.

Elizabeth Refalo, Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability at MEYR

Elizabeth Refalo BA (Hons.) Social Policy, Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care (Social Care) (QCF), works as a Statistician at the Directorate for 18 Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability within the Ministry for Education. Her area of expertise is social care and policy.

Ethan James German, Trainee within the Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability at MEYR, Malta

Ethan James German is currently reading for a B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics and Physics at the University of Malta, and is a trainee within the Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability, where his competence in software QA, statistical simulations, data science, and physical modelling support the Research Unit’s quantitative analysis capacity.

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Published

15-09-2021

How to Cite

Vassallo, J., Meagher, G. L. D., Zammit, N., Refalo, E., & German, E. J. (2021). Students’ and parents’ perspectives on emergency e-learning in kindergarten and compulsory education. Malta Journal of Education, 2(1), 167–196. https://doi.org/10.62695/PPYP6369

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2021): Malta Journal of Education (MJE)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Jeannine Vassallo,, Nadine Zammit, Elizabeth Refalo, Ethan James German

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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