Arab Educational Information Network

During 2020, in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the majority of schools, including those in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), temporarily closed their doors. This led to a rapid shift towards distance learning, placing considerable responsibility on parents and guardians. The current study examines the experience of parents, employing a questionnaire distributed through the social media platform WhatsApp. The research used purposive sampling with parents with children aged between three and six. The study reveals the challenges experienced by parents during the pandemic, including concerns for their children’s behavioral, emotional, social and cognitive development, and isolation from peers. Parents also emphasized the importance of blended education, i.e. combining school-based and distance education. In addition, this study supports Sui-Chu and Willms’ (1996) conclusion that parents of a higher socioeconomic status tend to become more involved in their children's education. This research offers a number of recommendations, including combining distance education with school-based learning to strengthen the communication skills of students and enhance behavioral and social development, as well as to provide training courses for parents and students on the use of various educational platforms, i.e. Zoom. (Published abstract)