Parental modelling has become an essential reference for children to form desirable
behaviours as children grow up. Therefore, parents must model appropriate actions for
their children to observe. This quantitative study examined the relationship between
parents’ awareness of their role as a model of technology usage and children’s
engagement in online learning. Other variables explored concerning the main variables
included parents’ perception of technology usage, parents’ technology usage, and
children’s technology usage. The respondents in the study comprised 385 Malaysian
parents and their four to six-year-old children. Data collected via a virtual platform or
face-to-face interaction included parents from all the states in Malaysia. The findings
indicated that parents’ awareness of their role as a model of technology usage was not
related to their children’s engagement in online learning. Instead, it showed that
parents’ perception of technology usage was positively related to their children’s
technology usage, and children’s technology usage was positively related to their online
learning engagement. Therefore, the findings imply that parents need to equip
themselves with the proper perception of technology usage, as their perception may
affect their children’s technology usage and engagement in online learning. (Abstract by author