Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Nov 12, 2024 1:19:29 GMT
NAPLAN scores remained stable during COVID lockdowns, new study finds - Published Nov 11, 2024
By Emily McPherson
Australian students were academically resilient in the face of long periods of remote learning during the pandemic, new research suggests.
A study from UNSW Business School and the University of Sydney has examined NAPLAN test scores across Australian states.
The research looked at differences in student performance based on different periods of remote learning between 2020 and 2021, with school closures ranging from 9 to 157 days.
"Using NAPLAN test scores, we found that students in schools which operated remotely for an extended period performed similarly to students in schools which were closed for a relatively short period," Dr Nalini Prasad from UNSW Business School, said.
The researchers examined the results of over a million students across different age groups and locations.
NAPLAN test scores from 2013-2019 were used as baseline data, and compared to results from 2021 and 2022.
The study suggests Australia's strict COVID-19 policies, including extended lockdowns, may have played a role in mitigating the negative impact on education.
"Per capita COVID case numbers and deaths were considerably lower in Australia. Low COVID case numbers meant that students did not have to miss school due to contracting the virus," Prasad said.
The research looked at students from all socioeconomic brackets, and the results suggested most were academically stable, even those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"There was little variation in NAPLAN performance for students from most socio-economic backgrounds," Prasad said.
"However, the data suggested some differences for Indigenous students and those from non-English speaking backgrounds, though this evidence was less conclusive," she said.
These findings could open up critical conversations about education funding priorities, she said.
"Post COVID, NSW implemented a program that aimed to help students catch up academically on lost schooling. The program was found to have had little effect on student performance," Prasad said.
"Directing resources toward longstanding inequities, rather than assumed learning losses, may yield better educational outcomes for all students."
While the research looked at academic performance, it did not examine other impacts of school closures, including mental health and student wellbeing, Prasad said.
"It's possible the pandemic had a broader impact on children's wellbeing, including their mental health and social development," she said.
"The Murdoch Children's Institute found a deterioration in the mental wellbeing of Australian children during the pandemic. This has also been found in other countries."
Study Link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775724000712?via%3Dihub
By Emily McPherson
Australian students were academically resilient in the face of long periods of remote learning during the pandemic, new research suggests.
A study from UNSW Business School and the University of Sydney has examined NAPLAN test scores across Australian states.
The research looked at differences in student performance based on different periods of remote learning between 2020 and 2021, with school closures ranging from 9 to 157 days.
"Using NAPLAN test scores, we found that students in schools which operated remotely for an extended period performed similarly to students in schools which were closed for a relatively short period," Dr Nalini Prasad from UNSW Business School, said.
The researchers examined the results of over a million students across different age groups and locations.
NAPLAN test scores from 2013-2019 were used as baseline data, and compared to results from 2021 and 2022.
The study suggests Australia's strict COVID-19 policies, including extended lockdowns, may have played a role in mitigating the negative impact on education.
"Per capita COVID case numbers and deaths were considerably lower in Australia. Low COVID case numbers meant that students did not have to miss school due to contracting the virus," Prasad said.
The research looked at students from all socioeconomic brackets, and the results suggested most were academically stable, even those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"There was little variation in NAPLAN performance for students from most socio-economic backgrounds," Prasad said.
"However, the data suggested some differences for Indigenous students and those from non-English speaking backgrounds, though this evidence was less conclusive," she said.
These findings could open up critical conversations about education funding priorities, she said.
"Post COVID, NSW implemented a program that aimed to help students catch up academically on lost schooling. The program was found to have had little effect on student performance," Prasad said.
"Directing resources toward longstanding inequities, rather than assumed learning losses, may yield better educational outcomes for all students."
While the research looked at academic performance, it did not examine other impacts of school closures, including mental health and student wellbeing, Prasad said.
"It's possible the pandemic had a broader impact on children's wellbeing, including their mental health and social development," she said.
"The Murdoch Children's Institute found a deterioration in the mental wellbeing of Australian children during the pandemic. This has also been found in other countries."
Study Link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775724000712?via%3Dihub