Most notably its poor effectiveness and the lack of physical activities and social interaction

Questionnaire Reveals Challenges of Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The different learning models reinforce the principle of shared responsibilities between schools and parents.

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The General Secretariat of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, in cooperation with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, revealed the results of a parents ’questionnaire on the impact of distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was launched at the end of the last academic year 2019-2020, with the aim of understanding the impact of global variables on The march of education in Dubai, especially with regard to distance learning, and parents' perceptions and expectations regarding the future of education for their children, in partnership with the Dubai Statistics Center and the "Ernst & Young" consultancy.

The questionnaire comes within the framework of the government's desire to anticipate and remedy the educational changes due to the "Covid-19" pandemic, and included 2000 participants from parents in the government and private sectors in the emirate. The results of the questionnaire fell into three axes: the experience of students and their families with distance learning, and the impact of The pandemic affects parents' expectations and preferences, and any behavioral changes that have the potential to affect the school model in the long term.

On the experience of students and parents with distance learning, about two-thirds of the participants confirmed the existence of adequate support from schools, as they shared clear directions and instructions during this period, and the results of the questionnaire showed that two-thirds of parents saw that distance learning during the last period was less effective than learning in Traditional or face-to-face classes, and they have identified some challenges in this regard, including the lack of physical activities and social interaction, the effect of intensive use of screens on children, and its effect on their educational achievement in general, in addition to the lack of distance learning resources.

Regarding the impact of the pandemic on parents' expectations and preferences, nearly half of parents saw a decline in their productivity at work, as some of them increased two to three additional working hours to compensate for the hours used to support their children in the distance learning process.

And about behavioral changes that have the potential to affect the school model in the long term, nearly half of parents expressed their acceptance of distance learning, and their expectation that it would be part of the education process in the future.

The Secretary-General of the Executive Council, Abdullah Al-Basti, confirmed that the current efforts of the Dubai government are based on identifying the changes brought about by the pandemic in various areas of life, identifying challenges and monitoring future opportunities for them to enhance readiness and raise the efficiency and effectiveness of the educational system to deal with various scenarios, indicating the importance of the questionnaire to stand On the parents' vision of the impact of the pandemic on the educational process and their future expectations, and to provide a scientific basis for exploring the future of the educational sector, providing appropriate solutions and improving services, in line with the aspirations of community members, in cooperation with partners from government agencies and the private sector.

Al-Basti said, “Our focus throughout the last phase has been on ensuring the safe return of students and teachers to schools.

While students have begun to adapt to the new reality left by the pandemic, it becomes clear the importance of studying the effects of this pandemic on parents and students, as the results of the questionnaire constitute a fundamental pillar to ensure the advancement of educational services and students ’academic achievement, and to provide a clear picture of the different orientations of the educational environment and the future of education, and we would like to thank Parents who participated in the questionnaire, as one of the influential partners in the success of the educational process ».

For his part, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dr. Abdullah Al-Karam, said: “Despite the exceptional circumstances resulting from the (Covid-19) pandemic during the past months, the education community in Dubai has been able to overcome the challenges through the combined efforts of its individuals and institutions. And the exchange of roles, to ensure the continuity of education without interruption during the third semester of the last academic year ».

Al-Karam pointed out that the period during which distance education was fully implemented has created new opportunities for developing various learning models in private schools in Dubai, enhancing their capabilities to keep pace with and adapting to the rapid changes, and also helped change our behaviors as individuals about the way we learn, and our expectations about the form that can be That education looks like in the future, given that every child is different from the other, and every educational experience children receive will be different.

He pointed out that the different learning models developed by schools with the start of the new school year reinforced the principle of sharing responsibilities between schools on the one hand and parents on the other hand, as a guarantee to move forward towards enriching the learning experience for male and female students with high quality, and to meet the aspirations of parents regarding the preferred educational models for them. With attention to the importance of enhancing the quality of life of students and teachers, as more important than ever.

Al-Karam pointed out that, in the past, students' attendance has not been suspended for more than six consecutive months, and this is the experience that has contributed to reshaping our perception as individuals and as a society to the way we learn, while being keen on designing new educational solutions within different learning environments, and with roles. New, based primarily on the individual needs of students and parents.

Students of determination

The questionnaire identified the most prominent features in the experience of parents of students of determination, with "distance learning", during the "Covid-19" pandemic.

And he indicated that more than two-thirds of the participating parents indicated that the educational content does not match the needs of their children, and thus its inability to meet them.

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Parents' participation in the questionnaire from the government and private sectors in the emirate.

- "Half of the participants accepted distance learning and expected it to be part of education in the future."

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