Difficulties of Virtual Learning Methods in Schools During COVID-19 Lockdown from the Perspective of Parents

Objective: The objective of the study is to investigate the difficulties experienced by the change to a virtual methodology applied in schools, from the parents' perspective, as a response to the confinement due to Covid-19, in order to recognize and assess difficult situations experienced. Theoretical framework: The difficult situations experienced at school and in the family are presented from the parents' perspective. The educational levels of the confined children are defined, the number of those who live at home is specified, the concern of the parents raised by the educational situation of the children at home and the difficulties experienced by the parents with the education of their children are qualified. Method: The study indicates the sociodemographic data and the difficulties arising from the methodological change to the virtual school environment, using the survey technique with an appropriate questionnaire as an instrument, which collected information from 1,390 parents with children at school. Results: Parents rated the lack of time to dedicate to the education of their children as the main difficulties (54%); the lack of support from educational centers (32.6%) and the use of technology (33.9%). Discussion: Implications and relationships of the study in relation to the recognition of the difficulties derived from the educational methodological change, projected from the possibility of reversing the adverse situations experienced by confinement, in a shared learning opportunity at school and in the family. Research Implications: The implications of the study are complementary to the benefits that the methodological change could bring to students and families, from the perspective of parents. The importance lies in prevention to avoid contagion in the school community and, by extension, in the online methodology that was presented as a new teaching and learning alternative. Originality/Value: The relevance and value of this research are evident in the participation and collaboration of the sample and in the results, which highlight the difficulties parents endured in supporting their children's education and how we must be prepared and alert to avoid falling into uncertainty, doubt, or anxiety.