“Uncertain but Hopeful”: Early Childhood Family Educators’ Perspectives on COVID-19 Virtual Instruction
Starting March 2020, COVID-19 forced Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) programs to adapt to online delivery. In order to evaluate how this programming went, ECFE professionals across Minnesota were surveyed with questions on how programs adapted to virtual instruction, what technologies or resources were valuable, and how this experience could be better. Results indicated that the most valuable technologies were videoconferencing and email, while district websites were least valuable. The dominant themes across all questions were the value of relationships, the role of resources, education inequities and challenges, changes in instruction, and emotion. These results highlight the changing atmosphere in education due to COVID-19, the wholistic experience of an educator, and the need to adjust ECFE programming in a more equitable way. While COVID-19 caused a negative experience for many educators, the results also showed the resiliency of ECFE professionals. Educators remain uncertain of the most effective path forward, but hopeful for the return of in-person classes for families and students.