"In the Moment": Teachers' Communications With Multilingual Families During COVID-19 Remote Instruction

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Sixteen
  In Roundtable Session: Unpacking the Impact of COVID on Family, School, Community Partnerships (Table 8)

Abstract

We conducted a mixed-method, convergent parallel design study with K-2 teachers to understand the impact of remote instruction during Covid-19 on communications with multilingual families. Using a smartphone-based research platform, teachers from 10 states submitted diary entries during winter 2021. As part of the diary study, 48 teachers submitted video recordings explaining how communications with families had changed. Recordings were transcribed, systematically coded, and thematically analyzed to understand obstacles and facilitators to home-school communications. Obstacles included families’ limited access to technology and difficulty obtaining adequate language interpretation services. Facilitators included new opportunities for more frequent and immediate communications with families, resulting in more “in the moment” communications, and increased opportunities for partnership with families as caregivers participated in remote instruction.

Authors

• Amy C. Crosson, Pennsylvania State University
  Presenting Author

• Rebecca Silverman, Stanford University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yaqi Shen, University at Albany - SUNY
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shuang Xie
  Non-Presenting Author