Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Parents who have been homeschooling their children are being called on to share their experiences for a new study being carried out by researchers at the University of Nottingham.
Since 20th March, UK schools have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and learning has been carried out online at home. Researchers from the School of Medicine have launched an online survey to gain insight into parent’s experiences that can be used to formulate a blueprint for homeschooling in any future pandemics.
Dr Maddie Groom, Associate Professor in Applied Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience is leading the Nottingham study which is part of an international collaboration with researchers in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Homeschooling has caused a significant change in the lives of many families. Learning is now entirely online and parents are having to support their children with learning, often whilst also trying to work and juggle other caring and household responsibilities. We want to find out how this is affecting the lives and well-being of parents and children. The findings will be analysed and shared with schools so that they can use this information to adapt and refine any future support for parents and children.
The online survey is for parents of children of all ages and takes around 30 minutes to complete. It covers a range of questions about mental health and cognitive difficulties that parents or children may be struggling with - from what parents think about the school support and provision for homeschooling through to how homeschooling has affected family life.
Dr Groom continues: “You only have to look at social media and the news to see that parents have had varying experiences of homeschooling. We want to build a comprehensive picture of this to help schools better support parents should the need for mass homeschooling arise again. We will also be working with the international team to look at the differences between the experience of homeschooling in different countries and see whether we can learn from each other.”
To take part in the survey go to: https://bit.ly/3dy7BQL
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Maddie Groom on Maddie.Groom@nottingham.ac.uk or Jane Icke, Media Relations Manager for the Faculty of Science at the University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 951 5751 or jane.icke@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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