Exploring Student Perceptions of K-12 Synchronous Remote Education

Overview & Synopsis

Despite increased interest in synchronous remote K-12 education, there is limited research on how students perceive such education. This article explores student perceptions of remote education, tutor support, social presence, learning and satisfaction. We developed a survey, and after distributing it and analyzing the results, the survey was offered to practitioners as a formative assessment tool. The findings showed that students were slightly positive toward synchronous remote education. Key factors that correlated with student perceptions of social presence, learning and satisfaction were positive perceptions of tutors and, to some extent, being enrolled in a smaller class. Some students appreciated the flexibility and quality of remote education, although many experienced technical and communication challenges. Our findings suggest that it is not sufficient only to engage qualified teachers in their subject; there is also a need to consider the continuous development of teaching practices and how to support and use digital technologies in remote education.