Parental Roles and the Implementation of Home-Based Learning During COVID-19: A Study of Selected Primary Schools in Lamwo District, Northern Uganda

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid adoption of Home-Based Learning (HBL), shifting primary educational responsibility onto parents in resource-constrained settings. This study explored the roles, competencies, and challenges of parents in implementing HBL between March 2020 and December 2022 in 15 primary schools across 5 sub-counties of Lamwo District, Northern Uganda. The research employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative data from structured questionnaires completed by 180 parents and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 45 parents, focus group discussions with 34 community stakeholders, and interviews with 15 head teachers. Data analysis involved SPSS for descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Key findings indicate that the parental roles in the implementation of HBL were severely compromised by systemic and socio-economic barriers. Logistically, the distribution of print study materials was delayed and insufficient, with less than a quarter of learners utilising them, forcing reliance on local community compensation. Technological solutions were inaccessible and impractical due to extreme poverty, resulting in negligible access to digital tools, while radio programs were often pedagogically inadequate and failed to engage learners. Parental support was undermined by economic constraints (farm work), a psychological survival mindset that devalued education, and paternal disengagement linked to maladaptive coping and misinformation. Consequently, the majority of parents failed to prioritise or allocate time for structured study, and the pervasive lack of a conducive learning space confirmed the home environment’s unsuitability as an alternative classroom. HBL largely failed due to these interconnected barriers. Recommendations include strengthening logistics to ensure timely, last-mile delivery of subsidised print materials; prioritising low-tech, print-based pedagogy supplemented by visual print-outs for broadcast lessons; integrating psycho-social support through parental sensitisation and addressing misinformation; and advocating for the creation of structured study time and conducive learning spaces at home. Understanding these context-specific challenges is vital for developing equitable and resilient educational policies for future crises.