A survey of low-income families shows that many kindergarten through 12th grade students became disengaged, especially when home technology was lacking or unreliable when the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools.
Researchers said the findings show that continued school support for internet access and devices at home – as well as live instruction and teacher feedback – will be critical for improving remote learning for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
The report shows the many ways in which the pandemic is making it difficult for schools to provide high-quality learning opportunities for all children.
For example, many models of remote instruction rely at least in part on parents as educators. In fact, many parents, especially low-income parents, are required to work outside the home or have limited technological proficiency to support distance learning needs.
Only about one in three families in Los Angeles reported to the USC researchers that students always have a place free of distraction for off-campus learning.
“Every room in the household is now a classroom,” said Stephen J. Aguilar, an assistant professor of education at the USC Rossier School of Education. “Bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens are not set up for uninterrupted, focused instruction. At the same time, these familial, home-based spaces allow multiple generations of learners to help each other work through challenges caused by technical issues that include a lack of reliable, high-speed connectivity and a shortage of devices.”
Aguilar produced the report with Hernan Galperin, an associate professor of communications at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
“We have long been aware that differences in digital readiness at home can affect school performance,” Galperin said. “But since spring of 2020, what was a long-simmering problem became an emergency. Our findings show that students without appropriate connectivity or devices for distance learning are less motivated and are able to complete fewer assignments than their peers.
“If schools are expected to contribute to social mobility and create lifelong opportunities for all children, there needs to be a concerted effort at the federal, state and local level to address these disparities.”
Other key findings in the report include:
- Families have made great sacrifices to invest in digital infrastructure, with the highest spending on fixed internet access followed by laptops and computers;
- The majority of parents surveyed have limited experience with computing devices, reducing their ability to help solve technical issues;
- Digital readiness at home is key to supporting live instruction, which in turn affects schoolwork completion and student motivation; and
- Older siblings and other family members play a key support role for students.
The survey, conducted online and by phone, involved 1,971 families with children in kindergarten through 12th grade schools. The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, Vaughn Schools Charter Schools and STEM-Prep Charter Schools administered the survey.
The California-based nonprofit Great Public Schools Now provided funding for the study.
– City News Service