Experiences of Parents and Teachers with Virtual Classrooms during the COVID-19 Restrictions: A Study Focusing on Inclusive Education in Malaysia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in emergency remote teaching in many countries. In Malaysia, not all households were prepared for remote teaching. This has caused some groups of students to be left out. Therefore, in this study we aim to investigate the experiences of parents and teachers concerning inclusiveness of the education delivered via virtual classrooms during the pandemic time in Malaysia. Questionnaires were distributed online to gather feedback from parents, teachers and anyone having both roles. 379 respondents completed the questionnaire. The findings indicate that stable Internet access, adequate information and communications technology (ICT) competencies among teachers and parents, and a more holistic role of the Ministry of Education could contribute to implementing a more inclusive remote teaching. Statistical data showing significant associations suggest that parents and teachers having master’s degree and above tended to be more concerned with providing inclusive remote teaching to the students. Readiness in making virtual classrooms more inclusive was higher among those teaching science and mathematics subjects than those teaching art and humanities subjects. An implication of this study is to guide the implementation of digital teaching and learning in the future, considering the involvement of policy makers, researchers, teachers, and parents.