Funded by the government’s Public Policy Research Funding (PPR) scheme, which supports quality public policy research in Hong Kong, this project addresses the policy need for research on the challenges confronting schools and families to support the online learning of primary school students amid the class suspensions. For the majority of the 2019/2020 school year, classes in all local kindergarten, primary and secondary schools have been suspended in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic (and territory-wide protests earlier). The class suspensions have focused the spotlight on pressing issues related to students’ online learning at home. Over the years, various policy initiatives for the effective online learning of students have been introduced towards, among other milestones, the development of a digital infrastructure (e.g. access to computers or the Internet at home), digital literacy support (for students and their parents) and self-directed learning and family support. Recent policy attention has been drawn to the role of home–school collaboration as the enabling environment of online learning support. Similar to traditional learning environment, home–school collaboration is important in supporting and facilitating students’ online learning. Home– school collaboration becomes particularly critical and apparent when schools have moved classes online during the prolonged class suspension, and the burden of children’s education has fallen increasingly on parental support.
In light of the current unprecedented time, this project will address the following specific research questions:
What are the main challenges and expectations of online learning for schools and families during the class suspension, particularly where the socioeconomic status
(SES)-related divide is concerned?
What have schools and families done to sustain effort related to online learning and maintain educational continuity for students during the class suspensions?
How have home–school collaboration strategies functioned as a wider online learning support system in the long run?
To address the specific research questions, the proposed study will adopt a multiple case-study design, which involves mixed methods for collecting, triangulating and analysing data primarily from surveys and in-depth interviews. With the view to understand the practices adopted by schools and families of different backgrounds, we will include eight purposively selected school cases for an in-depth case study based on school socioeconomic status (SES) composition, extent of home–school collaboration and scale of school operations in online
learning amid class suspensions. In each selected school, the views of school leader(s), teachers, parents and students will be garnered via surveys and in-depth interviews.
9 February 2021 – 8 February 2022.
Given insights from the perspectives of school leaders, teachers, parents and students, findings of this study are expected to provide a timely understanding of the challenges encountered by schools and families during this critical period, specifically on the possible associations with the existing context of family-school relations. Apart from the potential contributions of addressing immediate policy responses and interventions, this study’s findings will inform the education authorities, school leaders, and the wider community to formulate long-term policy strategies in how home–school collaboration plays a long-term role in online learning support, building community strategic partnerships to tackle digital divide, and developing school crisis management plans for future crises.
Dr Lee Tsz Lok Trevor, ttllee@eduhk.hk