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Articles

Vol. 3 No. 3 (2023): Parents/guardians, education and digital technologies

Parental engagement enhanced: The response of parents in a sample of Northern Ireland’s schools to the emergency remote teaching provided through two periods of school lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.df010f85
Submitted
12 August 2026
Published
15-08-2026

Abstract

This paper draws evidence from schools in Northern Ireland (NI) which entered for an annual awards scheme, the NI Schools ICT Excellence Awards, in 2021-2022. This self-selecting sample is therefore representative in a very specific way: that is to say, from those self-nominating in the belief that they make award-winning provision for the benefit of their learners.

The summary of evidence indicates that the school/parent partnership was considerably enhanced in these schools through two periods of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in a range of ways that have since been sustained, to the advantage of both the schools and the pupils’ parents, guardians, and carers. The learning impact and outcomes, while not representative of all of Northern Ireland’s schools, are nonetheless indicative of what can be, and has been, achieved through effective school leadership, a strong commitment to professional development by teachers, engagement by learners, and by the positive attitude of parents to the value of educational provision.

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