School Performance among Children and Adolescents during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Abstract

As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, conventional ways of schooling were not possible, and in order to continue the educational process new digital resources, such as online learning platforms, were imposed. Although virtual courses provided high-quality educational material, the efficiency in children’s and adolescents’ academic performance in general is yet to be known. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine whether the academic performance of school-aged students was impacted or not through online learning and modified educational methods during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to the studies, either students suffered from learning losses comparing to pre-pandemic years or, in some cases, they benefited from online learning, especially in mathematics. Younger students and students with neurodevelopmental disorders or special education needs seemed to suffer more. Parents/caregivers reported that their children’s performance deteriorated, while others thought that online learning was beneficial. Teachers also reported that students presented academic gaps and difficulties in mathematics and reading compared to typical years. Consequently, the new ways of schooling imposed by the restrictions have not been fully tested and the impact cannot be described thoroughly. The investment in technological equipment in schools for the majority of students, along with the training of teachers in digital competence, should be a priority.

COVID-19 Restrictions and Its Influence on Students’ Mathematics Achievement in Spain

“…Regarding the quantitative results, recent studies have also documented the academic problems that has been caused by the COVID-19 restrictions in classrooms [61,62]. Studies around the world refer to a decrease in students' mathematics achievement due to the pandemic with similar decreases in students' achievement to those reported in this research [63][64][65][66]. In this sense, many researchers in the field state that the in-person support prior to COVID-19 without restrictions produced higher achievement results than the online solutions or in-person adaptations that are currently taking place [67,68].…”

Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Perceptions among Lithuanian Adolescents

“…Other research on adolescents’ academic achievement or motivation during distance education during a pandemic is ambiguous. The systematic review by Panagouli et al [ 46 ] revealed that students either suffered from learning losses compared to pre-pandemic years or, in some cases, they benefited from online learning. The review showed that most of the students presented a significant decrease in mathematics scores compared to previous years.…”

“…The review showed that most of the students presented a significant decrease in mathematics scores compared to previous years. Younger students faced more difficulties during online learning; however, they presented more enthusiasm for learning materials because they were more creative and interactive [ 46 ]. In our interviews, the adolescents did not report specific subjects that would have suffered more due to distance learning than others.…”

Long-Term Consequences of Repeated School Closures During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Reading and Mathematics Competencies

“…On average, students spent less time learning and reported more distractions (Huber & Helm, 2020). The corresponding learning loss during the first pandemic wave has been summarized by several systematic reviews and meta-analyses (De Witte & Smet, 2021;Donnelly & Patrinos, 2021;Hammerstein et al, 2021;Panagouli et al, 2021;Zierer, 2021). Standardized learning losses were typically smaller in native language domains such as reading than in mathematics (e.g., Zierer, 2021, reported d2020-pre= -0.10 in reading compared to d2020pre = -0.17 in mathematics).…”