No Loss, No Gain? COVID-19 school closures and Swiss fifth-graders' competencies and self-concept in mathematics
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Author (Corporation)
Publication date
21.06.2023
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Type
01A - Journal article
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Parent work
Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie
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Volume
Issue / Number
Pages / Duration
1-15
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Publisher / Publishing institution
Hogrefe
Place of publication / Event location
Bern
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Abstract
COVID-19-related school closures in spring 2020 interrupted learning routines and posed a great challenge for students' competencies acquisition and self-concepts. Concerns about possible learning losses due to school closures, especially for disadvantaged students, are justified, but the currently available empirical evidence is still scarce, varies greatly with regard to context, and neglects reciprocal effects of competencies and self-concept. To address these shortcomings, this paper first provides insights on the effect that the 8 weeks of school closures had on Swiss primary school students' math competencies. IRT-based math tests were used to cross-sectionally compare data from 1,299 students in Grade 5 in late spring 2020 shortly after the reopening of schools with data from a previous year's cohort ( n = 11,314) using propensity score matching. The results revealed no significant differences in math competencies and no evidence of an increase in inequality when children with not German (vs German) as their first language were studied. Second, changes in math self-concepts in the school year 2019/20, when the pandemic first hit, as well as reciprocal effects of math competencies and math self-concept were assessed longitudinally ( n = 1,299) using random intercept cross-lagged panel models based on three measurement points. Results showed that higher math self-concept and positive change in math self-concept over the time of school closures were related to higher learning gains. Different development trajectories for children with German (vs not German) first language emerged. The study therefore fosters a better understanding of the effect that pandemic-induced school closures had on learning and relativizes the feared negative effects on math competencies caused by short school closures.
Keywords
COVID-19, school closure, self-concept, mathematics competencies, equality, Schulschliessung, Selbstkonzept, mathematische Kompetenz, Chancengerechtigkeit
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ISBN
ISSN
1010-0652
1664-2910
1664-2910
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Gold
License
Citation
Compagnoni, M., Rechsteiner, B., Grob, U., Bayer, N., Wullschleger, A., & Maag Merki, K. (2023). No Loss, No Gain? COVID-19 school closures and Swiss fifth-graders’ competencies and self-concept in mathematics. Zeitschrift Für Pädagogische Psychologie, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1024/1010-0652/a000366