Collapsing borders: How online education shapes student-mothers’ experiences in higher education

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic led many higher education institutions to pivot to online education. In part, institutions made these shifts to avoid losing revenue from declining student enrolment, a concern in many countries given a shift toward neoliberalism, in which the market dominates and concern for the public good fades (Harvey 2007; Saunders 2010). The change in course delivery brought both challenges and opportunities to all students, but the consequences of the transition were especially heightened for student-mothers. In this article, we explore how 57 student-mothers in the United States navigated online education during and after the pandemic. Participants in this national, longitudinal study discussed the challenges they faced engaging in coursework while caring for their children who were at home with them. However, many acknowledged that increased online offerings allowed them greater access to pursue education since they did not have to secure childcare. Using Clark’s (2000) work-family border theory as a guide, the data demonstrate how online education enabled student-mothers to address their responsibilities associated with each role by integrating rather than segmenting these competing domains. Such action is contrary to the neoliberal state, which suggests that caregiving is a private act and incompatible with participation in the public sphere (Maker 2022). Although institutional actions were not taken to be care-full (Lynch 2009), ultimately online education facilitated increased access for student-mothers.