Abstract
Communication and family engagement in education shifted significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study explored these changes by conducting ten focus groups with 43 PK-12 special educators from one school district, examining their experiences with family involvement during the first two years of the pandemic. Educators employed various innovative strategies to foster communication and maintain family involvement, including using technology, conducting home visits, offering open communication channels, and creating personal connections through interactive activities. Participants noted that decreased family involvement in the first year was primarily due to technological barriers, childcare challenges, and linguistic or communication differences. The study highlights key strategies for improving family engagement during crises, with implications for future research and educational practice.
Keywords: family-involvement, family engagement, COVID-19 implications, family-professional partnerships, qualitative research.
Recommended Citation
Cruz, Diana L.; Gershwin, Tracy; Shen, Guofeng; and Correa-Torres, Silvia
(2025)
"‘You're Panicking, I'm Panicking, Let's Do It Together!’ Special Educators' Views On Family Involvement During COVID-19,"
Journal of Educational Research and Innovation: Vol. 13, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/jeri/vol13/iss1/1
