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Articles

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

Experiences of parents of pre-primary students on teaching and learning practices using technology during Covid-19

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.f1aeb9bc
Submitted
12 August 2026
Published
15-08-2026

Abstract

This research study explores parents’ experiences teaching their pre-primary children using technology during the Covid-19 pandemic, explicitly focusing on parents from rural India. The study adopts a phenomenological qualitative research design to understand the participants’ lived experiences. The research methodology includes open-ended and closed-ended questions in the interview to gather rich and in-depth data from the participants. A sample of 15 parents of pre-primary students aged between three to five years who met the selection criteria of being parents of students enrolled in rural schools in India were selected for the study. The questions gathered detailed and descriptive information about parents’ experiences of pre-primary students regarding the change in teaching and learning practices imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically in rural India. The study identified several benefits the parents derived from indulging themselves in their children’s teaching and learning during the pandemic. I also explore how the parents managed their overlapping roles (parenting versus teaching facilitator) during the lockdown and how technology aided this process. Investigating the questions enabled me to interpret the sustainability imperative of technology adoption in teaching and learning practice. The digital practices and their sustainability in education need to be understood in detail in the context of the digital competency of the users and the digital infrastructure available to them, especially in rural India. Further, study findings are expected to form an empirical base for future policies addressing the digital and education divide.

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