When Trust Is at Risk: How Digital Resources Help Parents Stay Connected to Schools
Abstract
The digital environment plays a significant role in the interaction between parents and schools. The use and impact of digital tools for communication, educational process organisation, and school management remain central topics in educational research. This article examines the role of digital services in shaping parental trust in the education system. It addresses the question of how digital resources help parents maintain trust in schools, particularly in situations involving negative experiences of interaction. Using path analysis based on responses from 16,353 parents of schoolchildren in Moscow, the study assesses the extent to which the frequency of use and satisfaction with digital services mediate the negative impact of communication difficulties with schools on overall trust in the education system. The findings indicate that the compensatory effect depends not only on the frequency of digital tool use but also on a high level of user satisfaction. Thus, the quality of digital interaction between schools and parents emerges as an important factor in sustaining trust. The results may be of use in shaping information policy and strategies for digital communication in education.
Downloads
References
Alamolhoda J. (2021) Improving the Model of Family-School Interaction with the Help of Digital Education. Contemporary School Psychology, vol. 27, no 2, pp. 251–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40688-021-00381-6
Amzalag M. (2021) Parent Attitudes Towards the Integration of Digital Learning Games as an Alternative to Traditional Homework. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, vol. 17, no 3, pp. 151–167. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJICTE.20210701.OA10
Anderson S.E., Kyzar K.B. (2022) Between School and Home: TPACK-in-Practice in Elementary Special Education Contexts. Computers in the Schools, vol. 39, no 4, pp. 323–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2022.2086738
Andreenkova A.V., Dmitrieva E.V., Noskova A.V. (2022) Perception of School Learning Digitalization and Its Consequences: Research Outcomes of Online Focus Groups with Teachers and Parents of Schoolchildren. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, vol. 2, pp. 272–291 (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.14515/MONITORING.2022.2.1990
Aventin Á., Gough A., McShane T., Gillespie K., O’Hare L., Young H. et al. (2020) Engaging Parents in Digital Sexual and Reproductive Health Education: Evidence from the JACK Trial. Reproductive Health, vol. 17, Article no 132. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12978-020-00975-Y
Bayar M.E., Kulaksız T. (2024) What Is the Connection between the Parent-Child Relationship and Digital Parental Awareness. The Role of Parental Media Mediation. Proceedings of the Conference of Childhood, Education & Society (Istanbul, 2024, 27–29 June), pp. 163–165.
Beilmann M., Opermann S., Kalmus V., Vissenberg J., Pedaste M. (2023) The Role of School-Home Communication in Supporting the Development of Children’s and Adolescents’ Digital Skills, and the Changes Brought by COVID-19. Journal of Media Literacy Education, vol.15, no 1, pp.1–13. https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2023-15-1-1
Bordalba M.M., Bochaca J.G. (2019) Digital Media for Family-School Communication? Parents’ and Teachers’ Beliefs. Computers and Education, vol. 132, April, pp. 44–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2019.01.006
Bormann I., Killus D., Niedlich S., Würbel I. (2021) Home–School Interaction: A Vignette Study of Parents’ Views on Situations Relevant to Trust. European Education, vol. 53, no 3–4, pp. 137–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/10564934.2022.2081084
Bylieva D., Lobatyuk V., Novikov M. (2023) Parent Chats in Education System: During and after the Pandemic Outbreak. Education Sciences, vol. 13, no 8, Article no 778. https://doi.org/10.3390/EDUCSCI13080778
Chico Pérez J.A., de la O D.M.L., de la Luz Valdez Ramos M., Peregrino V.M.A., Hernández Arias C. (2024) Automatización de la Comunicación Escuela-Padres: Un Enfoque Innovador mediante el Uso de Herramientas Digitales y Redes Sociales para Optimizar la Gestión de los Reportes Conductuales y de Aprovechamiento Académico. Revista Cubana de Ciencias Informáticas, vol. 18, no 4. Available at: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=10204047 (accessed 11.11.2025).
Chiong C., Dimmock C. (2020) Building Trust: How Low-Income Parents Navigate Neoliberalism in Singapore’s Education System. Comparative Education, vol. 56, no 3, pp. 394–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2020.1724487
Cunha C.R., Gomes J.P., Mendonça V. (2020) Connecting School Actors Using Mobile Applications. IBIMA Business Review. https://doi.org/10.5171/2020.211095
Diachkova A.V., Kulkova L.I. (2020) Organizational and Managerial Solutions for Online (Distance) Interaction in the Educational Process at the School. Perspektivy Nauki i Obrazovania / Perspectives of Science and Education, vol. 47, no 5, pp. 429–439 (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.32744/PSE.2020.5.30
Eapen V., Winata T., Gilbert M., Nair R., Khan F., Lucien A. et al. (2022) Parental Experience of an Early Developmental Surveillance Programme for Autism within Australian General Practice: A Qualitative Study. BMJ Open, vol. 12, Article no 064375. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064375
Fidan N.K., Olur B. (2023) Examining the Relationship between Parents’ Digital Parenting Self-Efficacy and Digital Parenting Attitudes. Education and Information Technologies, vol. 28, no 11, pp. 15189–15204. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10639-023-11841-2
Gonzalez C., Morawska A., Haslam D.M. (2023) Profiles of Parents’ Preferences for Delivery Formats and Program Features of Parenting Interventions. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, vol. 54, June, pp.770–785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01284-6
González S.C., Belduma K.T., Jumbo F.T. (2022) Las TICs, la enseñanza y la alfabetización digital de la familia. Transformación, vol. 18, no 1, pp. 94–113. Available at: http://scielo.sld.cu/pdf/trf/v18n1/2077-2955-trf-18-01-94.pdf (accessed 11.11.2025).
Gottlebe K., Latzko B. (2023) How Did German Parents of Primary School Children Perceive Remote Schooling during COVID Pandemic? Paper presented at the 20th Biennial EARLI Conference (Thessaloniki, 2023, 24 August).
Hafeez A., Akhtar N. (2022) Impact of Collaborative Leadership Style on School Improvement: A Case of Secondary Education Sector. The Journal of Positive School Psychology, vol. 6, no 9, pp. 3460–3474.
Haller T., Novita S. (2021) Parents’ Perceptions of School Support during COVID-19: What Satisfies Parents? Frontiers in Education, vol. 6, Article no 700441. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.700441
Hamm J.E., Mousseau A.D.S. (2023) Predicting Parent Trust Based on Professionals’ Communication Skills. Education Sciences, vol. 13, no 4, Article no 350. https://doi.org/10.3390/EDUCSCI13040350
Hou Y., Chen S., Lin X. (2024) Parental Digital Involvement in Online Learning: Addressing the Digital Divide, Not Redressing Digital Reproduction. European Journal of Education, vol. 59, no 2, Article no e12635. https://doi.org/10.1111/EJED.12635
Hsu P.C., Chen R.S. (2023) Analyzing the Mechanisms by Which Digital Platforms Influence Family-School Partnerships among Parents of Young Children. Sustainability, vol. 15, no 24, Article no 16708. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU152416708
Hutchison K., Paatsch L., Cloonan A. (2020) Reshaping Home-School Connections in the Digital Age: Challenges for Teachers and Parents. E-Learning and Digital Media, vol. 17, no 2, pp. 167–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753019899527
Johari S., Noordin W.N.W., Mahamad T.E.T. (2022) WhatsApp Conversations and Relationships: A Focus on Digital Communication between Parent-Teacher Engagement in a Secondary School in Putrajaya. Jurnal Komunikasi: Malaysian Journal of Communication, vol. 38, no 2, pp. 280–296. https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2022-3802-17
Kraft M.A. (2017) Engaging Parents through Better Communication Systems. Educational Leadership, vol. 75, no 1, pp. 58–62.
Kuusimäki A.M., Uusitalo-Malmivaara L., Tirri K. (2019) Parents’ and Teachers’ Views on Digital Communication in Finland. Education Research International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8236786
Laho N.S. (2019) Enhancing School-Home Communication through Learning Management System Adoption: Parent and Teacher Perceptions and Practices. School Community Journal, vol. 29, no 1, pp. 117–142.
Mac Iver M.A., Sheldon S., Clark E. (2021) Widening the Portal: How Schools Can Help More Families Access and Use the Parent Portal to Support Student Success. Middle School Journal, vol. 52, no 1, pp. 14–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2020.1840269
Mashuri S., Rosmayanti U., Jaiz D.A. (2022) Implementation of the Classdojo Platform as e-Learning Media at the Khalifah Islamic Elementary School Palu. Paedagogia: Jurnal Pendidikan, vol. 11, no 2, pp. 197–210. https://doi.org/10.24239/PDG.VOL11.ISS2.325
Matthiesen N., Cavada-Hrepich P., Tanggaard L. (2022) The Trust Imperative: Conceptualizing the Dynamics of Trust and Distrust in Parent-Professional Collaboration. Educational Theory, vol. 72, no 5, pp. 663–683. https://doi.org/10.1111/EDTH.12549
Neuenschwander M.P. (2020) Information and Trust in Parent-Teacher Cooperation –Connections with Educational Inequality. Central European Journal of Educational Research, vol. 2, no 3, pp. 19–28. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37441/CEJER/2020/2/3/8526
Niedlich S., Kallfaß A., Pohle S., Bormann I. (2021) A Comprehensive View of Trust in Education: Conclusions from a Systematic Literature Review. Review of Education, vol. 9, no 1, pp. 124–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/REV3.3239
Pangrazio L. (2025) From a ‘Patchwork of Platforms’ to the Platformized School? The Changing Nature of Data Infrastructures in Education. British Journal of Educational Technology. https://doi.org/10.1111/BJET.70014
Piattoeva N., Gurova G. (2020) Digitalization of Russian Education: Changing Actors and Spaces of Governance. The Palgrave Handbook of Digital Russia Studies (eds D. Gritsenko, M. Wijermars, M. Kopotev), Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 171–186. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42855-6_10
Renta-Davids A.I., Camarero-Figuerola M., Camacho M. (2025) Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence in Educational Leadership: A Scoping Review. Review of Education, vol. 13, no 2, Article no e70101. https://doi.org/10.1002/REV3.70101
Ross L.L., Marchand A.D., Cox V.O., Rowley S.J. (2018) Racial Identity as a Context for African American Parents’ School Trust and Involvement and the Impact on Student Preparation and Persistence. Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 55, October, pp. 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CEDPSYCH.2018.07.003
Sankovich K.A., Danilova O.V. (2020) Development of Digital Economy Technologies in MES. Ekonomika i biznes: teoriya i praktika, no 4–3, pp. 29–31 (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.24411/2411-0450-2020-10330
Seabra F., Abelha M., Teixeira A., Aires L. (2021) Learning in Troubled Times: Parents’ Perspectives on Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning. Sustainability, vol. 14, no 1, Article no 301. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU14010301
Shapovalova O.N. (2022) Advantages and Risks of School Education Digitalization in the Eyes of Teachers and Parents: An Analytical Review. Nauchnoe obozrenie. Pedagogicheskie nauki / Scientific Review. Pedagogical Sciences, vol. 1, pp. 49–54 (In Russian).
Smith M. (2023) Virtual Connections for Parental Engagement: What Do Digital Spaces Offer? Studies in Technology Enhanced Learning, vol. 3, no 3, pp. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.21428/8C225F6E.8843E9FA
Tomczyk Ł., Potyrała K. (2021) Parents’ Knowledge and Skills about the Risks of the Digital World. South African Journal of Education, vol. 41, no 1. https://doi.org/10.15700/SAJE.V41N1A1833
Urbina S., Ferrer-Ribot M., Moral S.V. (2025) School-Family Communication in Early Childhood Education through Digital Tools. International Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 57, December, pp. 755–772. https://doi.org/10.1007/S13158-025-00419-3
Vachkova S.N., Petryaeva E.Yu., Fedorovskaya M.N. (2021) A Comparative Study of the Amount of Homework, Digital Activity and Learning Outcomes of Students Based on the Moscow Electronic School's Educational Data. Proceeding of the Conference "Big Data in Education" (Moscow, 2021, 25–27 August), pp. 39–48 (In Russian).
Xie J., Wang M., Hooshyar D. (2021) Student, Parent, and Teacher Perceptions towards Digital Educational Games: How They Differ and Influence Each Other. Knowledge Management and E-Learning, vol. 13, no 2, pp. 142–160. https://doi.org/10.34105/J.KMEL.2021.13.008
Yavich R., Davidovitch N. (2021) The Effect of Assimilating Learning Management Systems on Parent Involvement in Education. World Journal of Education, vol. 11, no 3, pp. 60–72. https://doi.org/10.5430/WJE.V11N3P60
.jpg){kind=small}
