Effects of the COVID-19 School Lockdowns on Language and Math Performance of Students in Elementary Schools: Implications for Educational Practice and Reducing Inequality

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  • Author(s): Ron Oostdam (ORCID Ron Oostdam (ORCID 0000-0003-4701-0153); Mieke van Diepen; Bonne Zijlstra (ORCID Bonne Zijlstra (ORCID 0000-0001-9924-4387); Ruben Fukkink
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    European Journal of Psychology of Education. 2024 39(1):129-149.
  • Publication Date:
    2024
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      21
    • Education Level:
      Elementary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      COVID-19; Pandemics; School Closing; Reading Achievement; Mathematics Achievement; Elementary School Students; Urban Schools; Barriers; Student Adjustment; Online Courses; Distance Education; Low Income Students; At Risk Students; Equal Education; Foreign Countries
    • Subject Terms:
      Netherlands
    • Accession Number:
      10.1007/s10212-023-00679-4
    • ISSN:
      0256-2928
      1878-5174
    • Abstract:
      The current study investigates the effects of the school lockdowns during school years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 on the achievement scores of primary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed scores for spelling, reading fluency (i.e., decoding speed), reading comprehension, and mathematics from standardized student tracking systems for 5125 students from 26 primary schools in the urban region of The Hague, the Netherlands. Results showed that students in grades 1 through 3 had significant learning delays after the first lockdown. However, results after the second lockdown showed that most students were able to catch up, compared to students from corresponding grades of cohorts before COVID-19. The magnitude of these positive effects was mostly close to the negative effect of the first lockdown. Apparently, during the second lockdown, schools seemed better prepared and able to deliver more effective home schooling and online instruction. The hypothesis that students' learning from a low SES home environment will suffer most from the school lockdowns could only partly be confirmed. SES effects at the individual level tended to be mitigated by negative effects of SES at the school level, making SES-related differences between schools less profound. The findings of this study offer a broader perspective to evaluate the effects of long-term school closures. Implications for educational practice and issues of inequality between students are discussed.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2024
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1416589