The effects of online learning on student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined in this study. Participants were undergraduate and postgraduate students who received an online education. They ranged in age from 18 to 25, and majored in languages. This group was particularly representative of female students, who tend to be more ‘female’ than their male counterparts.
Education levels
This systematic review presents evidence on how school closures during the COVID-19 crisis affect student achievement. The findings highlight that the effects of school closures differ widely by socioeconomic status, country, and education level. For example, school closures were found to negatively affect student achievement in secondary education more for low-income students than for higher-income students.
A recent study from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) found that lost instructional time affected student performance in almost every subject. According to Michael Maher, executive director of the DPI’s Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration, these findings were not due solely to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, most students still made progress during the pandemic. This is because students who attended school in person had the benefit of targeted supports and resources.
In the COVID-19 study, the effects of the pandemic on student performance varied by educational level. Although the gap between students with higher educational attainment and lower-income students was not large, it was substantial enough to affect the results. The report found that the COVID-19 had a negative effect on students with higher levels of achievement in math and science, particularly in eighth grade. The effect on students with disabilities was less pronounced, however. Those with disabilities performed better than their peers in sixth grade reading and eighth grade English II. Moreover, students with disabilities performed better than expected in math, as was the case with English Language Learners.
However, insufficient evidence supports the conclusion that COVID-19-related school closures may affect student performance in spring 2020. Only a small number of studies have been conducted on the effects of school closures on student achievement. Moreover, the majority of them focused on developed countries, and studies from developing countries are not yet available.
Access to high-speed internet
Recent research suggests that student performance is affected by access to broadband internet at home. Michigan State University’s Quello Center, in collaboration with the Merit Network and 15 Michigan school districts, conducted a study that explored the relationship between high-speed internet access and student performance. The study finds that students who have better home internet access are more likely to have better digital skills than those who don’t.
The researchers studied race and class-based disparities in student access to the internet, including access at home. In the study, they found that nearly one-half of African-American students did not have access to the internet at home. In addition, one-fourth of superintendents reported that access at home is less than one-third of their student population.
The findings indicate that the digital divide is interfering with students’ learning and making it difficult for some students to get an education during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also highlights the limitations of standardized tests, which reward a narrow set of skills and reward more affluent students. To overcome these challenges, a diagnostic assessment should be conducted.
In addition, students’ caretaking responsibilities were negatively affected by COVID-19. According to the study, 19.4% of students were forced to care for a child because of the lack of childcare, while 7% were forced to care for a sick family member. Moreover, COVID-19 has had a financial impact on the students’ lives. Some students were furloughed or lost their jobs. However, many others did not experience any adverse effects.
Learning loss
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout the United States, learning loss in students has been a major concern. While learning loss is nothing new, it can significantly hinder student progress. Fortunately, many students have adapted and found success through hybrid or virtual environments. However, the loss in learning can affect the student for years to come.
Researchers have begun to investigate the impact of the pandemic on education. In a recent survey of 941 educators in the U.S., 97% of educators reported academic losses in the last year. Similarly, in a survey of teachers in seven leading OECD countries, researchers estimated that students were on average two months behind their peers as of early November 2020. However, despite the widespread concern, data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning is still limited.
While learning loss is a complex problem, there are ways for parents to support their children. For example, they can talk to their child’s teachers about how they can help. Often, kids with learning issues can benefit from tutoring. Parents also need to understand that learning loss is not a personal failure.
The impact on students of color and students from low-income communities is disproportionately severe. Students in majority-black schools were six months behind their white peers in math and four months behind in reading, compared with students in predominantly white schools. The results also indicate that students in low-income schools are more likely to drop out of school than those in more affluent schools.
In recent years, many school closures have led to a large drop in children’s achievement. This has led to an historic widening of achievement gaps. While the worst learning predictions have not materialized, students are still far behind their peers. This unfinished learning can have grave consequences for students and the economy as a whole. In the fall, educators should have a much better understanding of how the COVID-19 has impacted learning and development.
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a powerful construct in education. It is a core element of student motivation and performance. It may explain differences in student performance in a variety of contexts. For example, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds report lower self-efficacy than their upper/middle-class counterparts. These differences may be amplified in distance learning environments.
The study tested the effects of online learning on student self-efficacy. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure self-efficacy and achievement motivation. It also examined whether online learning improved students’ academic performance. In addition, this study found a positive relationship between student achievement motivation and academic self-efficacy.
The study’s limitations include that it was cross-sectional, which makes directionality of the association between variables impossible to establish. Further, different measures of grade point average were used, which may have contributed to the different findings in different groups. In addition, the study’s self-reported data may be subject to bias.
Despite these challenges, the findings indicate that online learning can boost self-efficacy in students. The study also suggests that working-class students underachieve in contexts where they work alone. While independent students have more individualized feedback, working-class students tend to value interdependent interactions.
Read also: The Effects of Online Learning on Student Performance
