ERIC Number: EJ1306138
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0332 3315
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Magnifying Inequality? Home Learning Environments and Social Reproduction during School Closures in Ireland
Mohan, Gretta; Carroll, Eamonn; McCoy, Selina; Mac Domhnaill, Ciarán; Mihut, Georgiana
Irish Educational Studies, v40 n2 p265-274 2021
COVID-19 school closures have seen the homeplace become a school-place for students and their families in Ireland. This paper presents research on the resources and supports available for students to engage with learning in their home environments. Evidence from a nationally representative survey comprising one third of second-level school leaders, conducted during the first school closures in 2020, shows that attendance and engagement appears to be influenced by the educational level of parents/guardians. The association between parental education and student engagement was stronger for Junior Certificate students but was not statistically evidenced for Leaving Certificate students. Qualitative evidence sheds further light on inequalities which characterised students' experiences of online and remote learning. Viewing these developments through a social reproduction framework, this study argues that unequal home learning environments may magnify existing inequalities. To prevent a return to the classroom with more classed outcomes, it is imperative that policy, planning and investment strive to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on educational inequality.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, COVID-19, Pandemics, School Closing, Family Environment, Attendance, Learner Engagement, Parent Background, Educational Attainment, Secondary School Students, Equal Education, Educational Technology, Online Courses, Technology Uses in Education, Distance Education, Social Differences, Context Effect, Educational Environment, Age Differences, Barriers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ireland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A