Role of Parents in Distance Learning. The Importance of the Communication With Teachers in Context of Parental Self-Assessments

Many studies have examined the influence of parents on children's learning development and academic achievement, considering parental involvement at home and at school alongside with structural characteristics. Communication with teachers is a key element of cooperation and could be particularly relevant during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How parents perceive the communication with teachers and how they experience their role as learning assistants is still understudied. Against this background, the present study investigated how parents from the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg (N = 1006) perceived the communication with teachers during the first school closure as well as their own self-concept as learning assistants, their role strain, and their support of their child with schoolwork. Data were collected via an online survey. Results from a latent structural equation model showed significant relations between perceived communication and their self-concept as learning assistants on the one hand and their role strain on the other hand. A smaller, but also significant relation was found for parents' reported support of their child with schoolwork. Parental educational background (for self-concept) and children's grades (for support) turned out to be important control variables. The paper closes with a discussion of the need for successful communication with teachers to support parents, both in distance learning and beyond.