The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on school and out of school experiences of pupils in Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia
Boris Jokić
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia | boris@idi.hr
The COVID-19 pandemic represented the greatest global disruption of educational process in recent history impacting generations of pupils at various educational levels. In order to respond to this situation, almost all educational systems introduced various forms of emergency remote teaching and learning with the goal of ensuring continuation of the educational process for the children and youth. These sudden changes represented a unique historical situation in which primary and secondary education cohorts experienced non-classroom teaching and learning for an extended period of time. The negative effects of the pandemic on educational processes were demonstrated in the amplification of already present inequalities between and within education systems and in the significant learning losses and disruptions in students’ educational journeys. These negative effects extended to other important spheres of lives of young people as various forms of their relationships also faced challenges. This was evident in opportunities of meeting new persons, acquisition of friends and preservation of established friendships. For many of them times of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in education may have resulted in increased feelings of loneliness. Furthermore in all educational systems, opportunities for pupils at risk were either significantly altered or disappeared completely in terms of both quantity and quality of learning and other life experiences. This symposium presents a series of papers from large-scale research projects in Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia examining the perceived impact of pandemic and changes in the organisation of educational processes induced by it on various aspects of pupils’ lives. Symposium offers methodological and thematic diversity research teams employed in examining this extremely important topic. Thematically symposium includes qualitative exploration of the protective and risk factors for learning of Slovenian pupils from vulnerable groups – namely pupils with disabilities and learning difficulties, those from disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts and gifted pupils. Two papers from Serbia focus on the qualitative exploration of knowledge acquisition and achievement and peer relations during COVID-19 pandemic offering both pupils’ and teachers’ perspectives. Papers from Croatia offer quantitative perspective based on very large nationally representative samples on changes over time in the perceived impact of pandemic on school and out of school experiences as well as feeling of loneliness of Croatian pupils during pandemic. Comparative context of these countries is particularly interesting and important as their educational systems share origins and main features but have also diverged in the past three decades regarding the implementation of policy options during and after the pandemic. Research findings aim to inform system-level policy measures aimed at empowering pupils, educational workers and parents to successfully master crisis situations in the future.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, school experiences, out-of-school experiences, Western Balkans
PROTECTIVE AND RISK FACTORS FOR LEARNING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A COMPARISON BETWEEN VULNERABLE GROUPS OF SLOVENIAN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS
Mojca Juriševič
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia | mojca.jurisevic@pef.uni-lj.si
Darja Zorc Maver
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia | Darja.Zorc-Maver@pef.uni-lj.si
Milena Košak Babuder
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia |
Milena.Kosak-Babuder@pef.uni-lj.si
Mojca Poredoš
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia | mojca.jurisevic@pef.uni-lj.si
Neža Podlogar
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia | Neza.Podlogar@pef.uni-lj.si
Anja Gruden
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia | Anja.Gruden@pef.uni-lj.si
Karmen Javornik
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia | Karmen.Javornik@pef.uni-lj.si
Anja Podlesek
University of Ljubljana Faculty of Arts, Slovenia | Anja.Podlesek@ff.uni-lj.si
Apart from the growing empirical evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic and psychosocial development of the reference population, there’s still little evidence on how the most vulnerable primary and upper secondary school pupils experienced this period. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate the self-perception of changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic during emergency remote education comparatively among four groups of pupils: pupils with special needs, gifted pupils, pupils from migrant backgrounds and pupils from families with low social status. Namely, we hypothesised that if their vulnerability was not supported, this could cause a possible dysfunctional adaptation to school life and academic performance during the pandemic. For the study, we interviewed 92 pupils aged 8 to 17 following the semi-structured protocol. The data were analysed qualitatively using MAXQDA software. The results showed that the experience of emergency remote learning (ERL) was different for different students, which isn’t necessarily a characteristic of the target group, but primarily a consequence of the broader social context of the individual pupil interviewed. The pandemic seems to have made the challenges that pupils from vulnerable groups face in their daily school life even more apparent: Gifted pupils with few educational opportunities, foreigners without knowledge of the Slovenian language and socially not included, pupils from families with low social status in the middle of family conflict situations. On the other hand, from the interviews conducted, it could be concluded that educational authorities have addressed the needs of pupils with learning disabilities and other special needs well; they have also provided digital devices for ERL to some pupils, presumably from poorer families. The problems of social loneliness of foreign pupils and concern for the academic development of gifted pupils, as well as psychosocial support for all the students interviewed, regardless of their vulnerability, remained mostly unaddressed. In summary, lack of social contact with peers emerged as the most important risk factor in all groups of students, while the most important protective factor was a healthy lifestyle, resilience, and self-regulation, with which pupils entered the pandemic.
Keywords: emergency remote education, gifted students, special needs students, students from migrant backgrounds, students from families with low social status
This research was funded by by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of the evaluation study entitled »Evalvacija poteka in učinkov izobraževanja na daljavo v času epidemije COVID-19 na ravneh osnovnošolskega in srednješolskega izobraževanja z vidika doseganja učnih ciljev in standardov znanja ter z vidika socialno-čustvenega odzivanja« 2021/22 [Evaluation of the implementation and impact of distance education during the COVID -19 epidemic in primary and secondary schools in terms of achievement of learning objectives and knowledge standards, and in terms of socio-emotional response 2021/22].
STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT IN TIMES OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC – THE CASE OF SERBIA
Nataša Simić
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Serbia | nsimic@f.bg.ac.rs
Danijela Petrović
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Serbia | dspetrov@f.bg.ac.rs
While many papers worldwide point to learning loss and knowledge deficit as significant effects of COVID 19 pandemic, there were no extensive studies that explored this topic in the Serbian context. Therefore, this paper investigated the effects of education organized during the pandemic in Serbia on students’ knowledge and school achievement from the perspective of students and teachers. Research conducted within a broader cross-cultural project in Spring 2022 involved, among others, 84 interviews with teachers and 55 focus group discussions (FGDs) with typical students from the representative sample of primary and secondary schools in Serbia; however, for this paper we analysed teachers’ accounts from 31 interviews and students’ accounts from 13 FGDs (N = 99). Inductive qualitative thematic analysis was applied and only teachers’ perceptions of typical students’ knowledge and school grades, as well as students’ accounts of their knowledge and school grades were further analysed. It was determined that 77 coded segments addressed the students’ knowledge, with eight having a positive valence, two – neutral, and 67 – negative valence. Those who noticed improvements in their knowledge reported gaining knowledge and skills unrelated to school curriculum due to more free time in the period of remote education. Perceived knowledge loss was associated with decrease in academic achievement. Similar pattern was identified in teachers’ accounts. This calls for further analysis of factors that predominantly contributed to perceived decrease in school knowledge and achievements and reflection on potential solutions for preventing such outcomes in case of new waves of pandemic.
Keywords: knowledge, achievement, student, pandemic, effects
This work was supported by UNICEF Serbia in the framework of the project “Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Educational Processes and Practices in the Republic of Serbia: Qualitative Research” (No. REF: BG/PGM/DK/TR/2022-592) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (No. 451-03-68/2022-14/200163).
CHANGES OVER TIME IN THE PERCEIVED IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CROATIAN UPPER SECONDARY PUPILS’ SCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL EXPERIENCES
Jana Šimon
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia | jana@idi.hr
Zrinka Ristić Dedić
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia | zrinka@idi.hr
Boris Jokić
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia | boris@idi.hr
Various studies point out that youth’s school and out-of-school lives have been significantly changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the pandemic negatively affected pupils’ well-being and educational outcomes. While most studies have been focused on concurrent or retrospective accounts of the COVID-19 impact, longitudinal research on the pandemic effects is generally lacking, particularly in southeast Europe. The aim of this study was to assess the changes over time in the perceived impact of COVID-19 pandemic on school and out-of-school experiences of pupils in upper secondary schools in Croatia. The in-person questionnaire was administered in 79 upper secondary schools in Croatia at two time points: at the end of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 school year (9008 2nd and 8598 3rd grade pupils participated at each time-point). The questionnaire included a single-item measure concerning the perception of impact of COVID-19 on pupils’ lives in general and on various aspects of school (acquisition of knowledge and skills, learning motivation, attention in learning, learning habits, understanding of subject contents, digital skills, school grades, relationship with classmates, relationship with teachers) and out-of-school life (relationship with family members, relationship with close friends, involvement in out-of-school activities, involvement in physical activities and sports, physical and mental health). All items were measured on a five-point Likert-type scale (very negative to very positive). Aggregated school-level data analysis has shown that pupils perceive that their lives were generally less negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at the second time point. Furthermore, pupils’ self-assessment at the second time point were more positive on the majority of school and some of the out-of-school items (relationship with family members, physical and mental health). Interaction effects of gender and school type (gymnasium/vocational school) on most school and out-of-school items were observed at the second time point, suggesting that girls in gymnasium schools perceived they were more negatively impacted by the pandemic than other groups of pupils. The observed effects were small to moderate in size. The results are discussed in terms of the variability of perceived COVID-19 impact across time and in different segments of the pupil body.
Keywords: pandemic, upper secondary education, school experiences, out-of-school experiences
This work was supported by by the Croatian Science Foundation IP-CORONA-2020-12 project “Changes in the Organization of the Educational Process caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Educational Experiences, Well-being and Aspirations of Pupils in Croatia”
QUALITATIVE STUDY OF PEER RELATIONSHIPS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN SERBIA: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Ivana Stepanović Ilić
Odeljenje za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet u Beogradu, Univerzitet u Beogradu | istepano@f.bg.ac.rs
Zora Krnjaić
Institut za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet u Beogradu, Univerzitet u Beogradu | zkrnjaic@f.bg.ac.rs
Marina Videnović
Institut za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet u Beogradu, Univerzitet u Beogradu | mvdienov@f.bg.ac.rs
Although many studies addressed pandemic’s influence on youth wellbeing related to the restricted contacts with peers, there is lack of data about students’ perception of diverse pandemic impacts on their social life. This research is aimed to identify various types of students’ experiences related to their relationship with peers in school and out of school context during COVID-19 pandemic. It is a part of broader qualitative study about schooling in Serbia in the time of pandemic including students of primary and secondary schools, their parents and teachers. Inductive thematic analysis was applied on students’ sample i.e., on the discussions of 27 focus groups from primary and secondary schools. Results show that negative experiences about social life during the pandemic prevail since 70% of coded segments (n=260) belong to this broad category, while 21% represent positive and 9% neutral experiences. Social life was more affected in school context than in out of school, because students relate negative experiences more often to that context (153 coded segments) than to out of school (107 coded segments), while positive experiences are more often associated to out of school (59 coded segments) than to school context (20 coded segments). Negative experiences in school context are mostly described as longing for school mates due to lack of contacts during lockdown or measures in school (physical distance and division of a class into separate groups), and absence of school social events (excursions, school festivities, etc.). In an out of school context students missed going out with peers and complained about losing touch with them. Positive experiences in that context are dominantly related to socializing with peers despite measures against pandemic and to a lesser extent to online contacts via social networks. Positive experiences in school context students illustrate as a great joy being with school mates again when lockdown was over and insight about their importance. Neutral experiences are almost completely associated with out of school context, particularly with playing online games. Aforementioned major findings witness the large negative impact of pandemic on peer relations. Impressions of students from focus groups representing typical students’ population will be further related to the experiences of students from vulnerable groups having learning difficulties or coming from families with low income.
Keywords: pandemic COVID-19, peer relationships, students, qualitative study
This research was funded by the UNICEF Serbia in the framework of the project “Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Educational Processes and Practices in the Republic of Serbia: Qualitative Research” (No. REF: BG/PGM/DK/TR/2022-592) and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Support of the Republic of Serbia (No. 451-03-68/2022-14/200163).
FEELING OF LONELINESS OF CROATIAN PUPILS IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Zrinka Ristić Dedić
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia | zrinka@idi.hr
Boris Jokić
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia | boris@idi.hr
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the changes in the organisation of schooling process and social distancing measures have led to the changes in frequency and forms of social contacts, and might also result in the increase of loneliness among children and youth. However, recent studies have found that increased levels of loneliness might be short-term, and that social isolation does not always lead to loneliness. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of loneliness among Croatian pupils at the end of school year 2021/22, when most measures intended for mitigating the effects of coronavirus disease were withdrawn and the schooling process was normalised. The aim of the paper was to explore the effects of perceived relationships with friends on the feeling of loneliness. The survey was conducted on a nationally representative sample of 165 Croatian elementary and upper-secondary schools. The survey was conducted in-person in cooperation with school coordinators. The total of 16.385 pupils participated: 3706 in 5th grade, 3866 in 7th grade and 8815 in 11th grade. 51.6% of participants were females and 48.4% were males. Single item measure of loneliness was applied using participants’ self-reports about how often they feel lonely in the last two weeks. Measures of perceived relationships with friends included: single item measure of satisfaction with relationship with friends, factor score of the Friendship scale measuring social support from friends (Houghton et al., 2013), estimates of time with friends in a typical day in-person and online, and rating of the impact of pandemic on relationship with close friends. The results indicated that 12.8% of pupils in 5th grade, 17.5% in 7th grade and 18.1% in 11th grade felt lonely often or almost always in the last two-week period. GLM was applied to analyse the effects of gender, grade and measures of perceived relationships with friends on loneliness. Only 17% of loneliness was explained by this set of predictors. Gender, grade, social support from friends, satisfaction with relationship and time spent with friends in-person had small effects on loneliness, while the effects of time with friends spent online and rating of the impact of pandemic on relationship with close friends were negligent. The results were discussed in light of the recognition that understanding factors related with loneliness is crucial for developing school and public policies for reducing loneliness among pupils in post-pandemic times.
Keywords: loneliness, relationship with friends, social support from friends, COVID-19 pandemic
This research was supported by the Croatian Science Foundation IP-CORONA-2020-12 project “Changes in the Organization of the Educational Process caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Educational Experiences, Well-being and Aspirations of Pupils in Croatia”
