Journal Article

Social Class and Emotional Well-Being: Lessons From a Daily Diary Study of Families Engaged in Virtual Elementary School During COVID-19

Miguel, Jessica, Cohen, Shana R., Wishard Guerra, Alison, Molgaard, Monica R.

2022

Overview

To understand how parents adapted to virtual learning expectations during the initial COVID-19 school closures in spring 2020, this study investigated families’ daily activities, including parents’ emotions and their appraisals of the value of daily activities across two timepoints. Thirty-two parent–child dyads (Mean child age = 78 months, 50% male; 47% Latinx/Hispanic; 28% Spanish speaking) from a Southern California school district serving a diverse population completed a daily diary texting protocol (experience sampling method; ESM) five times per day over five days. Families spent most of their time together engaging in mealtime activities (preparing meals and eating). Families from low socioeconomic backgrounds reported appraising academic activities, social skills, and life skills more highly than families from high socioeconomic backgrounds. Parents reported more positive emotions than negative emotions. Findings provide opportunities for educators to mitigate learning loss by building on children’s learning experiences and family adaptations to daily routines during COVID-19.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,Sage Publications Ltd,SAGE Publishing
• Subject: COVID-19 / Diaries / Distance learning / Elementary Education / Elementary school students / Elementary Schools / Emotions / Families & family life / Family (Sociological Unit) / Interpersonal Competence / Mental health / Mixed methods research / Parents / Social classes / Spanish Speaking