Communication Pitfalls of E-support for Schools

Katja Jeznik, Marjeta Šarić and Nina Kristl

Summary:  The widespread use of e-support systems in schools, which encompass the management of school documentation and communication between schools and parents (e.g. messaging, school meals and timetables), as well as premium, fee-based services such as monitoring grades, homework and commendations, raises fundamental educational questions concerning cooperation and interpersonal relationships. As part of a study of class teachers, we analysed the views of head teachers (n = 219), class teachers (n = 356), parents (n = 1,514) and primary- and secondary-school students (n = 1,279) regarding the effects of e-support systems in schools, with particular emphasis on their impact on interpersonal dynamics. The findings show that head teachers and class teachers, in particular, recognise the positive effects of e-support, while at the same time they are also more likely to identify certain negative effects, such as reduced parental attendance at parent-teacher meetings and consultation hours, as well as the potential to hinder the development of students’ responsibility and independence. The prevailing view among parents and students is that the use of e-support does not affect their relationship with the class teacher. The parents who do perceive an impact relate it to their preference for face-to-face contact with their child’s class teacher and to concerns about the content and technical aspects of the application they are required to use. They also point to its negative impact on communication, a concern that is likewise prominent among primary- and secondary-school students. Since it is pedagogically unsound to reduce interpersonal relationships to what e-support systems make technologically possible, future efforts should focus on establishing clear pedagogical guidelines on what communication via e-support tools should encompass and when, from an educational perspective, other forms of cooperation between school and home should be maintained.