Date of Award

Fall 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Kelsey Greer

Abstract

Face to face education for young children was interrupted in March of 2020 due to mandatory school closures precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual learning was forced upon teachers and students at a time when many families and teachers had limited or no access to internet. When face to face learning resumed, teachers and students were required to wear facial masks and maintain social distancing protocols. This study sought to explore teacher and parent perspectives of young children’s development in a rural public school district since the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study was completed using teacher interviews, a teacher focus group, and a parent focus group to gather data on how the school closures impacted young children’s cognitive, social and emotional, language, and physical development. Analysis of the data showed that teachers viewed the impact of school closures differently than parents. Teachers were more concerned about a decline in overall development and the lack of interactions that students had with teachers and peers. Parents viewed school closures as a time to learn new concepts and spend time with families. Parents also shared that children were ready to return to school once the pandemic was over. Further research in an urban district is recommended to investigate similarities or differences in research findings.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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