Communicating Digitally: Building Preschool Teacher-Parent Partnerships Via Digital Technologies During COVID-19
Jennifer J Chen1, Dahana E Rivera-Vernazza1
1Kean University, 1000 Morris Ave., Union, NJ USA.
Early Childhood Education Journal
|July 5, 2022
Summary
During COVID-19, digital tools like ClassDojo enhanced teacher-parent communication and partnerships in preschools. However, limitations in digital communication were also identified, impacting engagement.
Area of Science:
- Early Childhood Education
- Educational Technology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- COVID-19 pandemic necessitated shifts in school-parent communication, moving from in-person to digital methods.
- Limited research exists on the perceived experiences of teachers and parents with digital communication tools.
- Understanding these experiences is crucial for effective parent-teacher partnerships in educational settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate preschool teachers' and parents' perceptions of digital communication experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To explore the modes, nature, and limitations of digital communication between teachers and parents.
- To specifically examine the use and impact of ClassDojo in fostering teacher-parent relationships.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing virtual interviews with one preschool teacher and three mothers.
- Participants were from a private childcare center in the northeastern United States.
- Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes, with data triangulated using ClassDojo communication artifacts.
Main Results:
- Four major themes emerged: modes, nature, limitations of digital communication, and specific use of ClassDojo.
- ClassDojo facilitated proactive parent involvement and strengthened teacher-parent partnerships.
- Subthemes revealed both the benefits and the limited functionalities of ClassDojo in practice.
Conclusions:
- Digital communication, particularly platforms like ClassDojo, played a significant role in maintaining teacher-parent connections during pandemic-related restrictions.
- While beneficial for engagement and partnership, the effectiveness of digital tools is influenced by their specific functionalities and user experiences.
- Further research into optimizing digital communication strategies is warranted to support robust parent-teacher collaboration in early childhood education.
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