Child-Centered home learning for preschool children during the pandemic: views from school practitioners and parents

ABSTRACT

While online learning has been widely adopted to substitute in-person schooling and sustain children’s learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, some schools have implemented “offline” distance learning instead of depending on technology. This case study documented how offline home learning focusing on child-centredness and authentic learning experiences was implemented through home and school involvement in a typical preschool in Hong Kong. This study aimed at examining the phenomenon of this home learning practice and its effectiveness from the perspectives of school administrators (n = 3), teachers (n = 8), and parents (n = 18). Qualitative data collected from interviews and supplemental school documents revealed that the effective implementation of offline home learning primarily depended on (1) a child-centred approach with individualized learning support and (2) family-based support tailored for diverse families. The findings also suggested that a connection among peers was lacking as a result of social distancing and limits on physical interactions. Based on the findings, implications for further studies and parent education for strengthening competence in home learning are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Home learning
• child-centeredness
• individualized learning
• family support
• early childhood education

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to the principal, teachers, parents and children of ELCHK Chung On Nursery School for their participation in this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Declaration

This study has been approved by the ethicscommittee of the University where the researchers are in.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angela F.Y. Siu

Professor Angela F.Y. Siu is an Associate Professor in the Dept of Educational Psychology. Her research works include the social-emotional development of young children.

Carly K.Y. Ng

Dr Carly K.Y. Ng is a Postdoc Fellow in the Dept of Educational Psychology of CUHK. She is an experienced early childhood educator. One of her research interests is in teacher training in early childhood education.