The goal of this study was to learn about parental perceptions of their preschool and elementary school children with respect to relations with the teachers and various aspects of distance learning used during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Israel. Research was carried out in the summer of 2020 among 602 parents, comprising a representative sample of parents of children in preschool, grades 1-2, and grades 3-6 of the Jewish population of Israel. Participants completed a questionnaire designed for this study that sought to measure attitudes towards aspects of distance learning (e.g., Zoom lessons) and how the teachers related to the children and parents. Findings indicate that the child's age had an impact on how the parent perceives the activities of the children and the teachers with respect to several forms of distance learning imposed by the pandemic. At all ages, parental interpretation of the impact of the pandemic on teacher-family relations was found to contribute to the explained variance regarding parental evaluation of the children's and teachers' activities as well as the variance in attitudes about distance learning (both online and asynchronous). Also, parents of every age cohort reported that they were more involved in their children's distance learning than in encouraging the children to reach out to their friendsthe parents of third through sixth graders were even less involved than parents of the younger children.

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled teachers to grapple with the challenge of distance learning and remote communication with pre-school children and their parents. This study examines how student-teachers perceived their and the teacher’s relations with the pre-school children and parents during the first lockdown. The study is based on a mixed-method, quantitative and qualitative, research design among ten third-year student-teachers in Israel. 56% reported that relations with parents during the first lockdown were strengthened, which they attributed to several factors (e.g., parental desire to establish a routine and maintain the child’s connection with their friends and teacher, and a desire to advance their children). Other factors were perceived to undermine parent-teacher relations (e.g., number of siblings, busy parents, economic and emotional stress, technological illiteracy). The study underscores the importance of a holistic and ecologic approach to relations among early childhood education teachers, student-teachers, parents, and children, and the critical need for partnership and transparency between the pre-school teacher and student-teacher.

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