This journal article relevant to those interested in this project came across one of our electronic desks over the past few days. It also cites some of CANeLearn‘s Pandemic Pedagogy Research.
Abstract – The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the ecological systems that underpin young children’s learning and development, reshaping relationships among families, educators and schools. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory, this qualitative study explored how parents (n = 11) and educators (n = 25) in Ontario, Canada, experienced the transition to emergency remote learning in the early primary years. A thematic analysis that combined data-driven coding with deductive mapping onto Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems identified four microsystem themes: parent–child, educator–child, peer–child and environment–child interactions, and three mesosystem themes: parent–educator, educator–school system and parent–school system interactions. Findings reveal how the disruption of both direct and interconnected relationships affected children’s learning and well-being, with existing inequities exacerbated by digital access, socioeconomic differences, and institutional constraints. Parents and educators highlighted the centrality of well-being, consistent communication, and collaborative partnerships in sustaining learning during crisis. The study underscores equity as a guiding principle for policy and practice in early years education, particularly in preparing systems to respond to future disruptions. By illuminating the interdependence of relationships within and across ecological systems, this research contributes to international understandings of relational resilience and equity in early childhood education.