Families’ Perceptions of the Use of Digital Technologies in Family-School Communication
This study examines how digital technologies are used to support communication between families and educational centers, understood as formal primary and secondary schooling institutions, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The research explores parents’ perceptions of these communication practices, their perceived influence on family involvement, and the challenges and opportunities associated with digitally mediated family-school relationships.
The rapid digitalization of educational communication during the pandemic transformed established family-school interactions worldwide. Understanding families’ beliefs, everyday practices, and perceived difficulties in using digital technologies is essential to inform more inclusive and participatory communication strategies that remain relevant beyond emergency contexts.
The study uses a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods through a convergent or concurrent triangulation design. For the quantitative phase, the COMCEFAM questionnaire (Questionnaire on Communication between the School and Families) was used, which was designed and validated for this purpose. It consists of 36 items and was administered to the families of primary and secondary school students. For the qualitative phase, a parent discussion group was used to explore in depth experiences and perceptions related to digital communication with schools.
This study’s contribution concerns parents’ perceptions of the use of digital technologies in family-school communication during and after the pandemic, the impact of this communication on family involvement in the school, and possible proposals for the use of digital technologies that promote new scenarios for family participation.
Results indicate a broadly positive perception of digital technologies as tools for family-school communication. A large majority of respondents agreed that digital technologies are useful for communication (88.22%) and necessary in contemporary society (85.20%). However, perceived support for family participation through digital means was moderate, and only 30.48% of families reported receiving training from educational centers on using these technologies. Qualitative findings highlight persistent challenges, including the dispersion of communication channels, unequal digital competencies, and the predominance of informational rather than participatory communication practices.
Promote training and digital literacy for families and teaching teams. Implement procedures that promote educational, participatory communication rather than focusing solely on the exchange of information.
Analyzing and understanding family-school communication is essential for designing quality proposals that enable effective and equitable communication between families and schools, regardless of context and the availability of devices and technological training.
Highlights the importance of communication between families and schools to improve family involvement in academic issues. Identifies additional challenges, such as the lack of preparation among teachers and families
Discuss possible proposals for the use of digital technologies that promote new scenarios for family participation, both for everyday situations and for unexpected emergencies.
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