Returning to Schools After COVID-19: Identifying Factors of Distance Learning Failure in Jordan from Parents’ Perspectives

This study aimed to evaluate the distance learning experiences of Jordanian parents after their children returned to school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was completed by 1,675 parents from across Jordan and the vast majority of the respondents (86.31%) agreed that distance learning failed to achieve its goals. This study also investigated the differences among parents’ demographic characteristics (area of living and type of school their children attend) and parents’ perceptions of the factors that caused the failure of distance learning. The study found a significant difference between parents based on the area of living (urban and rural) and the type of school their children attend. Parents who live in rural areas and parents who send their children to public schools have a higher perception of the factors that caused the failure of distance learning than parents who live in urban areas and parents who send their children to private schools. To explore why parents’ distance learning failed, parents answered open-ended questions and attributed this failure to many factors. Parents believe that distance learning failed due to many factors, and the most common factors are low learning motivation among students, poor accessibility to electronic devices required for distance learning and a poor internet connection, family related issues like economic status, large family size, and lifestyle, the last factor related to a distance learning culture. The findings of the study suggest some implications and recommendations for teachers and policymakers.