‘Homeschooling in times of corona’: exploring Mexican and German primary school students’ and parents’ chances and challenges during homeschooling

Abstract

The Corona virus (COVID-19) crisis forced many countries to follow strict protocols ordering schools to close. With schools under lockdown, homeschooling has become the only form of schooling available. Reports have indicated that parents and students have struggled with the challenges of homeschooling. Against this background, this study explored primary school students and parents' educational chances and challenges during homeschooling in two countries: Mexico and Germany. Comparing these two countries can shed light into potential differences of how inclusive approaches have been incorporated in homeschooling. Following a qualitative approach, thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents and school students. Results from a qualitative content analysis revealed that parents across both countries face challenges to organise homeschooling and motivate their children. However, they spent more time with their children. Primary school students in Germany and Mexico are challenged considerably by the loss of social contact.

Socioeconomic Status, Parental Involvement and Implications for Subjective Well-Being During the Global Pandemic of Covid-19

“…In addition, parental confidence in technology is identified as a significant predictor of involvement in education, suggesting the crucial relationship of the ICT competencies of families in their participation in the schooling processes of their children in the period. This result is consistent with former evidence that has shown in some countries differences between parents already familiar vs unfamiliar with technology in learning at home (Bhamani et al, 2020) and the struggles faced by low-SES parents due to the lack of digital tools to support their children (Pozas et al, 2021). On the other hand, the age and gender of students (in the case of informal activities) are variables associated with families' engagement in home learning during the COVID-19 crisis, with involvement in formal activities decreasing as child age increases, and involvement being higher for boys in informal practices.…”

Family and School Relationship during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

“…Some studies focused on the relationships between the three groups [ 12 , 20 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. It is worth noting how the actions carried out in Norway are one of the best examples of collaborative relationships formed between families, teachers, and students.…”

Clase social y estrategias parentales de apoyo a los estudiantes en pandemia. Resultados para Chile del International COVID-19 Impact on Parental Engagement Study

“…Por un lado, un conjunto de trabajos en distintos países del mundo ha estudiado la experiencia de los padres y madres ante la educación en casa. Estas investigaciones han remarcado de manera consistente las dificultades del proceso de enseñanza en el hogar, dando cuenta de situaciones de estrés y agotamiento de parte de las familias en el marco del desafío de balancear sus nuevos roles educativos con las responsabilidades laborales, así como también de los retos que éstas enfrentan por la falta de habilidades pedagógicas y digitales para apoyar a sus hijos o hijas en la enseñanza remota (e.g., Bhamani et al, 2020;Bubb y Jones, 2020;Fontenelle-Tereshchuk, 2021;Parczewska, 2020;Pozas, Letzel y Schneider, 2021). Por otro lado, un segundo grupo de reportes internacionales e investigaciones empíricas se ha enfocado en las condiciones estructurales presentes en los hogares para dar respuesta a las necesidades de la educación remota, relevando las brechas entre clases sociales en aspectos como el tamaño de los hogares, los dispositivos tecnológicos disponibles y la conectividad a internet (e.g., Bonal y González, 2020; OECD, 2020).…”