Parents' perceptions of the compliance of the individualized education programs (IEPs) during covid-19 impacted remote learning: A qualitative case study

ABSTRACT

School closure during the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to students with disabilities and their families as parents struggled to support their students with disabilities during online learning. The researcher used a single case qualitative study to examine the perceptions of parents of students with disabilities regarding educators' compliance with the IEP during the online learning conditions that schools have implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A semi-structured interview with 15 parents of students with disabilities from the Special Needs Parents Support & Discussion Group on Facebook was conducted. The researcher also used a biographical questionnaire to gather pertinent data about the participants. The data was collected through Zoom and NVivo Analysis Software was used to determine themes and patterns. The themes indicated that overall, the parents believed that educators and service providers ensured that the IEP remained complaint by ensuring that the services and instruction were available and implemented as mandated by the IEP. Communication and collaboration between the parents and school personnel contributed to increased parent involvement in supporting their students with disabilities during online learning, that in turn, impacted their students' academic performance and participation. The implication of the study is that parent involvement in the IEP process, as well as the overall academic of their students with disabilities impact their perception of the compliance of the IEP. The first recommendation for practice is for school leaders and educators or service providers to provide opportunities for enhanced parent involvement. Another recommendation is that the school must improve communication with the parents. A third recommendation is that the attendance and format of the IEP meeting must remain consistent when conducted in-person or virtually. Lastly, the school needs to employ opportunities for the continued use of technology, as well as access to high-speed Wi-Fi for the delivery of instruction and services to students with disabilities. The first recommendation for research is to conduct a qualitative case study involving the perceptions of fathers and their involvement as a support system for their students with disabilities during online learning. Another recommendation is to conduct a qualitative case study that examines the perception of students with disabilities during online learning and the impact of parent involvement on their academic development. A third recommendation is to conduct a quantitative study with a larger sample to examine the relationship between parent involvement and academic achievement of students with disabilities during online learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)